The moon sat comfortably high in the sky, shinning down on the water of a lake, sparkling like crystal.
Stars shone down, in their millions, burning and giving the sky more beauty than the most colourful flower.
In the world, silence was the only music of the night, with a slight noise now and again. The magic floated around, unnoticed but there. It gave the scene the quality of being too good to be true. A gentle breeze brushed past, sending the grass and tips of trees swaying gently. Leaves were lifted off the ground momentarily, as if they wanted to move, but didn't feel like it.
A forest was near the lake, silent and still, not a sound coming from it. Small eyes looked out from it, staring at the world around them, full of dangers.
But this scene was not how it should look, at the edge of the forest, there was a large hill. It wasn't part of the ground, it was a dragon.
It stirred, and opened an eye lazily, watching the reflection of the stars. For he wasn't bothered to look up at the sky, he was ashamed to. He saw a shooting star blaze across the water, and he sighed.
He wasn't comfortable, he felt uneasy. He scratched at the ground, and saw his massive claw marks on the dusty soil.
He liked it here, away from the havoc of the world, he and the ground were one. Soil and grass lay on his time old back, and small creatures nested on him.
He was unnoticed by anything, some large things even slept on him, without knowing it. This dragon, hadn't moved for a century, and a small tree was beginning to grow on him. He had been comfortable for that century, he ate what came by, which was enough. Many deer sat by the lake drinking, and he would extend his neck and snatch them.
He wanted to move, but wasn't bothered to detach himself from the ground. The urge to move was great, but his urge to stay was just a tiny bit greater.
Finally, after resting a moment, he pulled the roots off his feet, and released his tail from under the ground. He felt the air touch his body, feeling fresh and free. He suddenly heaved his body up, giving a groan as he did. The soil and grass crumbled off his body, and the small animals scampered quickly away to avoid being crushed.
He shook himself like a wet dog, and after one century of looking low, he looked up to the dazzling sky.
He felt strong now, that he had done it and admitted it. When he was young, he had never looked at the sky, because he blamed it and was scared of it, but he was the one who was wrong. Thinking what he did made him wish he could sleep again, and get his mind off it. The memory was fresh in his mind, it was easy to remember because it was so foolish. He remembered being young, being on the cliff and getting ready to jump.......

His little friend was jumping about in excitement, wanting to go before him. He was ready to jump, and was going to fly better than her. When upon looking down he thought that if he was to fall, it would be a painful death.
He looked back at his friend, and smiled more with his brain than with his heart.
She jumped to the edge of the cliff, and spread her flimsy wings. She was a good friend to him, never putting his life in danger. She didn't bother to look down, and jumped straight away without even thinking about what to do in the air.
Suddenly she started falling, screaming she grabbed the cliff face with her claws, but she was too weak to hold on.
Quickly in a panic he stretched out a claw, she grabbed it and pulled. Suddenly he fell, and ripped two holes in his wings. He looked behind him, it was terror flying when he thought he would never fly. Blood leaked from them, and he shrieked in pain. He let go of her claw, and scrambled up again with pain and strength behind him. He stopped and looked over the edge. He watched her fall, further and further, and him the only one possible to do anything. If he tried to fly down and catch her, he would kill himself also.
He heard a deafening and terrible scream, as she hit the ground. A lump came to his throat, and soon tears were trickling down his cheek. He ran with a pain in his heart hurting him more than anything, as he raced to the bottom.
He saw her body, lying there with not even a glimmer of life shinning.
He leant over her body and cried, not daring to look up at the sky in fear and anger.
Vowing never to fly, and knowing he couldn't, he left the scene, a hole in his heart growing as he did.

The memory got more stronger as he thought of it. Suddenly he saw a small shape beside him, looking up at him. Small shinning eyes of interest dominated the creature.
"Yes? What do you want?" Asked Gorlock.
"I have great news for you, very exciting sire!" Cried the young dragon.
"What great news? I'm not expecting anything." Said Gorlock, watching the young dragon struggling to stand still.
"Well, you know you've said you've always wanted to be a father?" Said the young dragon.
"Yes, what has it to do with the news?" Said Gorlock, thumping his tail gently on the ground.
"Samaya has laid an egg! Very big and healthy sire, very promising!" Cried the young dragon.
Gorlock closed his eyes and silently thanked Damaco greatly, Damaco was the lord that the dragons worshipped. Gorlock had mated Samaya ages ago, and now finally she had laid an egg, after he thought all hope was gone.
"But there is a catch." Coughed the young dragon quietly.
Gorlock stared at him, his eyes wide and alert and his webbed ears raised to listen. "What sort of a catch?" Asked Gorlock warily.
"I'm afraid it's a bad one." He said, and Gorlock sighed deeply, and nodded his head.
"The laying was very difficult for Samaya, she is terribly weak and rather ill. She won't be able to take care of the egg very well, she wants you to watch it until it hatches or until she's better." The young dragon sighed, his head hanging.
Gorlock thought about it, bringing up his child and having a strong relationship with it. But all for the weakness of his beautiful mate, who could be dying.
"I'll take it myself, and see her." Said Gorlock, and stood up on four legs.
He trudged off, his torn folded wings laying limply on his back.
"She is improving a little though, a little bit. She was nearly at death just after the laying." Said the young dragon, hoping to cheer Gorlock up.
Gorlock didn't look at him, and just looked ahead to Dragon Mountain.
Dragon Mountain had large caves all over it, and all of the caves held a small family of dragons. The whole group was a herd, known as the Cave herd. Some dragons lived in woods or in Gormongo trees, some underground. This herd lived in caves. Gorlock walked up the stone path, his claws clicking sharply on it, waking many sleeping dragons.
His eyes were set on a single cave, not moving from it or being distracted, he wasn't angry at all though. Just scared.
He walked in, and saw Samaya laying on her side, her chest heaving greatly.
Gorlock walked over to her, and saw her eyes were closed and her nostrils were wide open. He nudged her gently, and her eyes opened a small amount.
Her eyes were sore and tired, but she was too sick to show her joy in him being there.
"I'm here now, no need to worry." Said Gorlock, Samaya smiled weakly, and sighed gently.
Samaya straightened out her tail, and behind it was an egg. There was still some blood around it from being laid, and Gorlock cleaned it off with his long straight tongue.
It was a light brown colour, with dark brown patches here and there. It was very large, so large he couldn't believe she had laid it and survived.
"It's wonderful, I shall take care of it." Said Gorlock, Samaya was too weak for words.
"You will live, I know you will. Don't waste your energy on worrying, just build up your energy." Said Gorlock, lifting the heavy egg.
"It's....too....late for that." Gasped Samaya, struggling to speak.
"Don't say that, your going to survive. You will, for our infants sake." Said Gorlock, wrapping his tail tightly round Samayas.
"Please....don't make this.....hard...for me." Panted Samaya, she clawed at the ground, as a pain struck her stomach.
"You can pull through, you have to Samaya! Don't give up on me, please!" Cried Gorlock, burying his head in her neck.
His tail went tense, and hung onto hers tightly.
"Don't die, please, please Samaya." Begged Gorlock quietly, his eyes closed.
He opened them, and saw his mates eyes rest, and her body loosen.
"Take care of him for me." Said Samaya, with final strength.
Her eyes closed, and her tail dropped to the floor. Her chest no longer heaved in pain. In the darkness of the night, Samaya had died.
Gorlock stroked the egg, with his claws held up careful not to scratch it.
He put a torn wing over her body, and hung his head, and clung the egg close to his chest. Gorlock looked to the eye of Dragus, staring down at him from the sky. Dragus looked with sympathy.
It was wide and watching, glowing greatly.
That night, it was a Dragons Moon.

The eye of Radius, or the sun, shone down brightly on the great rock, heating it up and warming the dragons.
A dragon woke to the morning, alive and with life in her blood. Stretching her wings and arms, she walked out of the cave and yawned. Her long tongue extending and her mouth opened wide, it was slender and elegant.
Her eyes were blue and delicate, her scales were a dark blue on her body and head and the frame of her wings, but a light sky-blue on her legs and the skin of her wings.
She flickered her webbed ears and looked turned her head to her cave.
"Come on, you can come out." She called into the chamber, and a small young dragon walked out, a smile on his face and life in his eyes.
"Can I go play by the stream with the others?" He asked.
"Of course you can, but don't think it means you can try flying. You're too young." Said his mother calmly, and he ran off down the stone path to the bottom.
A lot of other young dragons were running down to the stream and woods, playing and running around.
Some were pretending to fly and breath fire.
One was just sitting by the bank though, staring down at the water in boredom. He looked at the small fishes dashing by in the clear blue water, with no real life or potential. Young at age, but old in brain, Stone was a quiet dragon. He had plenty of thoughts though, and most of them he did in time. He was interested in most things, but not in the curious innocent way most dragons were. He was terribly pessimistic, and always thought something was bad. When he had nothing bad the think about, he did nothing, but listen and watch.
His life was spent thinking, thinking about things he could of prevented. Things he wished he had never done or said, but knew he couldn't take them back.
Like the death of his still-to-be brother or sister. A stupid jealousy was to blame, he had always liked being single, not having some younger relative running around after him. So anger drove him to smash the egg, he said he had fallen on it, in fact he had jumped on it. His mother and father were heart-broken, and his mother cried for several days. She had laid the egg because she thought Stone was lonely, she had done it all for him.
Now Stone regretted it, as he was very lonely when he thought about it.
He only had one friend, and that friend had his own sad story to tell, sadder than his own. One that couldn't be blamed on anyone at all, but one that would hurt him for his entire life.
Stone looked up at the sky, and saw older but still young dragons flying stupidly low. They were trying to do fancy tricks, and were always too scared to try. He thought they were being pointless and stupid, and had no reason at all in life but to look good. Stone flicked a pebble into the stream, and he hit a fish on the head, and it sunk to the bottom.
He sighed angrily and looked away. He scratched the ground, then brightened slightly as he saw his friend trotting pleasantly towards him.
"Hi Dream, what took you so long to get here?" Asked Stone, as the dragon sat down beside him.
"Well, father looked a bit lonely as I started to walk out the entrance. He um, well he was holding a piece of my egg-shell. I don't believe he still has a piece." Said Dream, stretching out to his full length, his claws long and sharp.
"What did you want me for?" Asked Dream, licking his lips.
"I wanted to talk to you about some things." Said Stone, his claws hanging in the stream.
"About what? What have I done?" Asked Dream, pricking up his webbed ears.
Stone looked at Dream, he had shimmering golden scales on his body, head and wing frames. He had two small stubby horns growing on his forehead. No other dragon had them though. His whole body was a shimmering gold. He thought that more females should fall for him with a colour like that.
"Well?" Said Dream, seeing Stone just staring into space.
"About True Dragons." Said Stone.
Dream stared at him for a while, his eyes wide and filled with expression.
"What about them. You know my father and most fathers hate them." Said Dream, turning away and looking at his claws.
"I want to know where they come from, how we could get to meet them!" Said Stone. Dream just looked at him, and laughed.
"You're not serious are you? You know we're forbidden to leave the Plain Dragon Lands, if we do we'll get in deeply serious trouble." Said Dream, scratching his neck.
"Well, I just want to know why we're supposed to hate them so much. They don't bother us. Pretty pointless hatred I'd say." Said Stone.
"Why don't you ask your father? You could listen to them at their meetings as well, every Wide Eye they go." Said Dream.
Wide eye was when the Eye of Dragus was full, they called it Wide Eye because they thought that Dragus was ready to watch something happen. It was also known as a Dragons Moon.
"I could I suppose, but it's not as exciting as going to see them. They're very powerful dragons, breathing fire and holding strong magic." Said Stone.
"Yes, glorious as they may be they are very dangerous. It's a stupid idea as far as I'm concerned." Said Dream.
"As far as your concerned that is. Then again you dream too much and do too little." Said Stone, and Dream stared at him in disbelief.
"Say that again?" Said Dream, he didn't want to hear his friend insult him.
"Your name suits you. You dream too much and do too little. You won't get anywhere in life." Said Stone.
"Your name suits you more like! Your colour is exactly like that of a stones! Dull and stupid!" Shouted Dream, and got up and spun off, anger in his eyes flaring like a wild flame.
How dare he insult me? I didn't say anything insulting like that to him! Bet he thinks name-calling is clever, well I can name call too. Thought Dream angrily.
Stone laid on his back and sighed. He had just about got rid of another companion, this time he knew what he was doing instead of being mindless.
Why does it always happen to me? I do something and terribly regret it. Well, I'll have and go do something. Thought Stone, and got up. Suddenly he stopped and looked at his colour, it was a bit dull and rather stupid.
He strolled over to Dream, who turned away in disgust.
"I'm not the one to give up but, sorry." Said Stone, and Dream looked at him. Dream just stared and thought for a while. He could find another friend. Then he came to his senses.
"I'm sorry too, but you are going a little bit over the top." Said Dream reluctantly.
"I know but, I just wish I could see them and talk to them. I want to know more about them." Said Stone, Dream nodded.
"Just go ask your father or something." Said Dream, and got up and walked away. Stone just sat by the stream again, and saw the hurt fish was still under the stone. He lifted up the stone, and he saw the fish was alive, and it swam away.
He smiled to himself, and thought up a little remedy for whatever he did. Whatever bad you do, or how much you think it can't be undone or is hard to do, try anyway, it might just work. He locked it in his mind, to remember if it ever happened again. Dream decided to try it for himself, and walked back up to his cave. The hot stone burned his feet, and he had to walk quick if he was to avoid it being very painful. The sun shone on his scales, making them glitter like real gold, they heated him up as well. He gladly walked into the cool shadowy cave, and saw his father lying down, with the piece of egg-shell lying beneath his claw.
Dream coughed, and his father opened a weary eye.
"Yes son?" He asked, lifting himself up.
"Can I ask you some questions?" Asked Dream, sitting in front of his father. His father paused, and then asked, "What about?"
"About True Dragons." Said Dream daringly. His father grunted, and got up. He tossed the egg-shell across the floor, sending it skidding into a corner.
"I have nothing to do with them, and I don't want to hear of them. They are not to be talked about." Said his father, drinking from a small pool in the corner of the cave.
"I've never seen or heard of one attacking us. So why are you always planning to attack them?" Asked Dream, kicking a small stone about.
"My son, I don't plan to attack them. I just go to those meetings, it's something to do on Wide Eye nights." His father said calmly. "They are not beasts I particularly like or hate, they just don't seem to enter my mind a lot. All the other males encourage me to help and hate them, but they do not effect me."
Dream laid down, and looked up to his fathers eyes. They were filled with knowledge, and a tiny bit of fear was in them.
"Why do we have to be separated from them? They never do a thing to us, I want to see them." Said Dream, suddenly his father stared at him with eyes full of anger.
"Now that is one thing I find stupid and foolish! They may never attack us but their power is dangerous and so are they! You will not see them, and that is an order and command! If I find you've even gone near that border I'll make sure you get punishment!" Scolded his father, growling loudly.
"I'm sorry father, I really am." Begged Dream, seeing how cross his father could get for once. His father lowered his eye lids, and looked at the ground.
"Your mother was very much like you. She wanted to see them, I forbid her to in case she liked them too much. Enemco is a dangerous place, I told her. She listened and stayed, but her heart was away from our borders. I just wished I changed the laws before she passed away." Said Gorlock, and looked at his son.
"It wasn't nobodies fault, was it father? It was mine, my fault." Said Dream, walking over to the corner of the cave and picking up the egg-shell.
Tears filled Dreams eyes, how much he wanted to see and meet his mother. He knew she was loving, and so much wanted a child. He knew her name, and just the name painted a picture of her in his mind. He even dreamed of her, he saw her sitting on top of a hill, the grass and trees blowing around her. Her wings would be open for him to run to, but as he started running towards her, she got farther and farther away. Then she would burst into little bits of stars, and sprinkle everywhere. He would break down crying, and he would wake up with tears on his cheeks.
"It was nobodies fault, how could it be yours?" Comforted his father, putting a large claw on his head.
"I just know it's mine, something tells me it is." Sniffed Dream, he looked up at Gorlock.
"Well whatever or who ever's telling you that, they're wrong. No one was to blame, not your mother not you not me not anybody. Now lock that in your mind and don't let it drift away." Gorlock said, but tears still streamed down Dreams face.
"Why do you always blame yourself son? Why? It confuses me, what did you do that was all your fault that killed your mother?" Asked Gorlock, shaking his head.
"I don't know, maybe because my egg was too big and that killed her." Said Dream, drying his eyes.
"That's stupid, you can't make your own egg. Act your age. Now go along now, go play with that gray boy." Said Gorlock, pushing Dream towards the cave entrance.
"His name's Stone. There's something else I'd like to ask you as well." Said Dream, his father looked at him waiting.
"Well, why did you call me Dream?" Asked Dream, his father sighed.
"Because you were in my dream the night before you were laid. I saw new life being bought into the world, but with new life there is usually a death somewhere. In this case it was your mother. That's why I called you Dream. Now go." Said Gorlock, and turned his back to his son.
Dream nodded, and walked out the entrance, then he stopped and turned around. He put the piece of egg-shell on the ground, and then walked off.
Gorlock turned momentarily, and saw the egg-shell glow.

Dream walked back down the stream, Stone was sleeping on the bank, his tail in the water. He kicked Stone on the flank, Stone suddenly woke up and looked lazily at Dream.
"What?" He asked.
Dream smiled and said, "We're going to see the True Dragons."

"What made you change your mind?" Asked Stone, rolling onto his belly, and sitting up.
"My mother always wanted to see them, and secretly I do. My father wished he could have let her before she died, so before I die I'll go to make my father happy in the future." Said Dream, sitting down heavily.
"Yeah, that's a real sad story of yours. One life for another, makes you really think." Said Stone, more to himself than to Dream.
"My fathers getting worse, he tells me more and more he never used to tell me." Said Dream, looking at his reflection in the stream.
"Maybe going away will make it worse, make it more lonely." Said Stone logically.
"Maybe it makes it better, we don't know. I just want a little freedom that's all, nothing much. He'll understand that." Said Dream hopefully.
"What if it does make it worse? What if you come back and he was so sad he had died?" Said Stone, Dream just glared at him.
"I don't think he would be that sad, actually. Be serious Stone, anyway, I thought you wanted me to come." Snapped Dream, Stone shrugged.
"Second thoughts, we have to prepare."
"Yeah well, I guess that's fair enough but don't have too many second thoughts." Dream sighed, kicking up a little dirt.
"You know, somebody could be listening. Let's go talk on Flyers cliff." Said Stone. He got up and started to walk away. Then he turned around and said, "Come on!"
Dream ran after him, and they walked slowly to the lonely cliff on the edge of the Cave Dragon Lands.
Dream had a sort of built in fear of the place, he didn't want to admit it but somehow he just didn't like the place. It reminded him of something that had happened before he was laid, something that happened to someone he knew.....
"Why do you keep staring into space like that? Are you scared of falling off or something?" Said Stone, watching Dream stare at the sky as if something brilliant was happening up there. Stone coughed and Dream suddenly looked at him.
"Scared of falling off? Why should I be?" Said Dream quickly, Stone sighed and they walked on. They carefully climbed up the craggy red cliff, scrambling up large stones and slipping on small ones.
It may have disturbed Dream, but the view was spectacular.
It seemed like miles below, a valley of rock and a gentle stream running below it. Massive male dragons were hunting in the mists, swooping down and catching goats and other animals that lived in the canyon. One was just standing below them though, looking up at them.
The beauty of it sent a shiver down Dreams spine, he tried not to look directly below himself. He saw the mighty dragons flying around, grace and power in their strength. The one thing they lacked was a sparkle of magic, which the great True Dragons had plenty of. A breath of flame would make them more impressive also, it would make them the sort of dragons you like to look up to.
"I love it up here, I could just stay here for days on end." Said Stone, his foot slipped slightly, and he sent a large stone flying off the edge.
They both watched it fall, for what seemed like forever. Then an echo of a thud roared round the canyon, and all animals stopped to listen to it go on for ages. Then it faded to nothing, and everything moved again.
"I really wish, that there wasn't those bones lying at the base of the cliff." Said Dream, closing his eyes and swallowing.
Stone looked over the edge, and there lying at the bottom, was a collection of bones very much looking like dragons bones.
"You can fly, can't you?" Said Stone, Dream looked at him suspiciously.
"No, father won't let me." Said Dream, Stone frowned.
"Oh, right. I think flying was the main idea." Said Stone, and sat down heavily.
"What was your idea?" Asked Dream curiously.
"Well, I've always like to feel in power. If I flew off the edge of this, which is a great ambition of mine, I'd feel even more in power. I just wanted you to come with me." Said Stone dreamily, his mind wandering.
"Yeah well, even if I could fly I wouldn't jump off this. I'd have a heart attack." Chuckled Dream.
"Let's walk to the bottom and look at those bones, I'd like to see them as some other animal." Said Dream, and walked down the cliff with a sigh of relief.
Reluctantly Stone followed, and they walked down the winding red dusty path to the bottom of the cliff.
Dream started running, his heart beating loudly, he begged himself for them not to be dragon bones.
Suddenly he tripped on a bit of earth that went up, and he landed heavily and painfully on the ground. He groaned in agony, and opened his eyes. He suddenly realized he was badly winded, and gasped and coughed.
He lifted himself off the rock, grabbing his chest tightly. Stone came down behind him, and looked at the ground in shock.
A dragons skeleton lay dusty and old, it was small and bits and pieces of skin were still on it. Stone examined the skeleton carefully, looking at the hips and jaw.
"The jaws slender, and the hips are quite wide. It's a female, a girl." Said Stone, and ran his claws over the rib cage and arms and legs.
He yanked one, and it fell into two. He picked up one of the halves, and looked at the pattern inside the bone.
"This one died ages go, when even your dad was probably a young dragon!" Said Stone, and threw the bone to the ground.
It rattled and bounced, sending another echo about the canyon.
Dream stared over at the huge male dragons hunting, he had seen six flying earlier, one on the ground. Now that one on the ground was gone.
He suddenly noticed that one was running towards them, fast.
"Um, why is he running after us? I hope he doesn't think we're food." Said Stone, getting ready to run.
The mists flew apart as the dragon came running towards them, growling loudly.
Stone started running, but Dream just stood there and watched him come.
The dragon stopped, and glared at Stone who was going quickly up the path.
"Get back here." He growled deeply at Stone, who dragged himself sadly in front of him, standing beside Dream.
Then the dragon glared at Dream, his eyes slanted with anger.
"What are you doing here?" He snapped, and Dream stared hard at the dragon, but didn't answer. "I will say it again, what are you doing here?" Demanded he dragon, more loudly and fiercely this time.
Dream paused for a second, then said, "Father?"
"Yes, I am. Now answer my question." Growled Gorlock.
"We were up on the cliff, then we saw these bones lying at the bottom." Said Dream, and kicked the rib cage.
Gorlock growled loudly, and Dream fell back in terror.
"You leave this skeleton alone! Do you understand?" Roared Gorlock, Dream nodded quickly in fear.
The Gorlock stared angrily at Stone.
"As for you, leading my son astray...." Growled Gorlock quietly, and lifted Stone off the ground by his neck.
Gorlock held him up by his head, suddenly Stone knew what his punishment was going to be.
Suddenly Dream lunged at his father, and scratched his leg with his claws.
Gorlock moaned and dropped Stone on the hard ground, Stone groaned in agony. Dream pulled him up, and the two ran quickly away before Gorlock had realized they had gone.
They ran fast and quickly, Stone found it hard to keep up with his side hurting like mad.
They dived into the woods, and threw themselves in a bush. They tried to get their breath back, heaving and panting loudly.
"What am I going to do? I've struck my father and he'll never forgive me!" Gasped Dream, and put his head in his claws.
"We'll run away, to Enemco to live with the True Dragons! Now your father won't miss you, now your father will hate you and want you to run away!" Cried Stone happily.
"Do you think that's good? That my father hates me? Just because you want me to come with you to Enemco? You make me sick sometimes you really do." Sneered Dream, tending to a graze on his chest.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that." Said Stone shamefully.
"Well, think first talk later next time." Said Dream, and Stone nodded.
"Anyway, when should we go?" Asked Dream, seeing the Eye of Radius burning gloriously in the midday sky.
"When we've eaten and drunk plenty, and at night when Dragus is not watching." Said Stone, Dream agreed.
"Let's lie low until then, come on, let's go deeper into the woods." Said Stone, and the two walked deeper into the woods, careful not to rip their wings on anything by folding them in. They laid down, and felt the hard ground on their soft bodies.
Dream got up and picked the green leaves off trees, and put them under himself as a sort of bedding.
"Good idea." Said Stone, and did the same.
Soon they were both lying down, sleeping in the cool shadows of the woods. Light shafts coming through the trees made the scene like a story book.
Dream felt his body drift, into the land named after him......

He looked around, he was in a beautiful place, trees everywhere and animals plentiful. He drank from the river and flew up to the tops of the mountains. He ate wonderful animals and played in the lush fields.
He felt a cool breeze relax him, and he sat under a tree to escape from the Eye of Radius. Dream felt good inside, but suddenly thunder cracked above him, and rain poured down. The tree he was leaning on shed its leaves and became bare and cold, the fresh grass hardened and became rocks.
He dashed for the river, but it dried up and became a revine. He looked up at the sky, it had black clouds dominating it now. Thunder roared again, and lightening struck the tops of the mountains. He looked for the animals, skeletons laid in their place. The birds fell from the sky and died, and Dream fell to the ground in pain.
He tried with much effort to look up, but something kept pushing his head down. Then he jumped up in strength, and looked into the distance. Mists cleared, and in the distance he saw dragons flying, not plain dragons or even serpent dragons, these were True Dragons. Silhouettes in the distance, graceful and powerful.
Dream felt a cool breeze reach his face, and felt comfort beneath his feet. He walked towards the silhouettes, and he heard them roar to him. He roared back, and broke into a run. They roared again, and he roared back again.
He spread his wings, and started beating them, he took off, and pushed his feet and arms back. He stretched out his neck, and let himself go with the flow. He saw them get closer and closer, and he flew faster and faster, but just as he was about to reach them, he woke up.

He suddenly raised his head, and felt the blood rush from his head to his body. He squinted his eyes to get accustomed to the darkness, he must have slept a long time, as it was now night time. He heard the crickets, and saw a owl staring down from the tree tops, his eyes bright and large. The owl hooted, then flew away, rustling the branches of the tall trees.
Dream looked round the ground around him, his bed of leaves was flat under him, twigs and dry leaves lay everywhere covering the ground. One thing was missing, but he couldn't quite think what it was.
Suddenly his mind clicked, and he knew what was missing.
Stone wasn't there, there was just a flat bed of leaves lying in the darkness.
Dream got up and folded his wings back, and felt around for something to guide him.
He reached out and grabbed a tree, and felt its cold rough bark against the smooth scales of his claw.
"Stone! Where are you?" Shouted Dream, and his voice just faded to nothing.
He heard the crunch of twigs off to his right, and his head turned sharply to see what it was. "Only me, I was having a look around, making sure nobody was here." Said a voice, and Dream saw a gray shape enter his sight.
"Should we go drink and eat now? I want to leave as soon as possible." Whispered Dream, the shape nodded in the dark.
"Yeah all right, but we'll have to be careful. The males might still be out hunting, it didn't look like they caught much in the red canyon." Sighed Stone, and Dream saw him start to walk away.
"Wait up! I haven't been in here very often!" Said Dream, and ran after Stone quickly.
"Neither have I." Replied Stone, turning briefly.
They walked for a while, looking about to make sure they couldn't be seen. Soon Dream saw a clearing ahead, and in the distance behind the mists, was Dragon Mountain.
"Come on, I can't see anyone." Said Dream, and started going ahead.
He felt a tug on his wings, and looked behind to see Stone holding it.
"You may not be able to see them, but they are there." Said Stone, pointing a sharp claw out to the distance.
"Well if we can't see them we have no evidence that they are there. So that statement was pretty pointless." Sneered Dream.
"We have to expect the unexpected. We'll have to be careful, or else we'll end up three weeks in our caves." Said Stone, and Dream nodded.
"All right then, but you can do all the watching. I'm no good in the dark." Said Dream, pointing a claw at Stone. Stone nodded and began to walk out of the woods.
Dream wanted to cross first, despite his wariness, and his feet were as silent as the Eye of Dragus.
Stone never found out how he could be so quiet, he tried and tried but he always made some sort of soft noise.
Stone suddenly rushed ahead of Dream, and they banged into each other.
"What did you do that for?" Whispered Dream sharply, rubbing his head.
"Because I have better eye sight than you in the dark. We need to spot things as quickly as possible." Replied Stone quickly. Dream just sighed and let Stone get in front of him.
Dream heard a rustling noise behind him, and he turned sharply around.
He saw a slender shape disappear behind a clump of trees quickly, he hoped silently that it wasn't his father.
Suddenly Dream felt a searing burn in his stomach, he stopped and fell to the ground, clutching his stomach as tightly as possible. The dreadful burning rose to his throat, and tore his mouth. His eyes filled with pain and his nerves could not take it, he would surely die. His tail wrapped around his throat, and grasped so tightly he nearly suffocated himself.
Stone walked on, oblivious to what had happened to Dream.
Dream was in too much pain to scream or shout, or even whisper. Suddenly something lit the darkness, then faded again, Dream was not sure where it came from, but the pain had gone. He stumbled to his feet and ran silently after Stone. Stone turned round and looked at Dream, he looked quite tired.
Now that was being really silent. Thought Stone, and started walking again.
Other thoughts flashed through Stones mind, but none seemed to catch his attention entirely. Dream looked at Stone, walking steadily along on his four light legs. Dream looked at himself, his legs were just as long, but with more muscle and power in them. He knew all the dragons his age had legs like Stone, but why himself should have more power he just wondered about. He looked at the tip of Stones tail, quite thin and plain. He looked at his own, it was a little fatter, and it seemed to have two small spikes on it......
Dream thought about him and Stone, they had many differences. So many they were hard to count.
He got so frustrated his thoughts came out.
"Why?" Sighed Dream.
Stone stopped and turned around. "Why what?" He asked.
"Why do I have to be so different from everybody? Why can't I just be the same?" Dreams eyes were full of questions he was desperate to ask, but nobody had the answers to.
"I dunno, maybe you was just born that way." Said Stone, for some reason ending his sentence quickly.
He really wanted to say, 'born fat' at the end. But he felt that would make their friendship bond very weak.
"It just makes me angry that's all, that I have to be the one who looks like a freak." Dream coughed, he felt a sharp pain twang his throat. It soon went away though.
"What do you think True Dragons look like?" Asked Stone, looking up to the sky.
"Something similar to us I think, maybe a slight difference here and there." Replied Dream, Stone looked at him.
"Don't you think they might have this special feature, that makes you stare and wish you were them?" Asked Stone in wonder and excitement.
"They might, we'll have to wait and see." Said Dream, and nudged Stone to go on. Soon they were at the base of Dragon Mountain, only at night could its true size be appreciated. "It looks bigger." Said Dream, Stone nodded in awe.
They began to climb up, they had to get to the very top to get to the food storage. The dragons had decided that every time they caught something, a small portion was to be stored away just in case. Soon they needed a few caves to have enough space to fit the food in. It had been useful once, in the great famine. Many meat eaters had traveled far to get little from the dragons stock. Now it would be useful for them, there was so much there, they wouldn't miss a tiny bit.
Soon they got to the very top, and walked into the first storage cave. The air reeked of meat, and as they went further they heard rats and mice scuttle to their homes quickly. Soon they bumped into a huge soft pile, where the smell was almost unbearable.
They didn't talk, they were right above the cave of the head dragon. They took and ate all they could quietly, they took one, ate one, took one, ate one. They did that until they couldn't carry or eat anymore.
They ran as fast and as quietly as they could down, slipping now and then on the narrow path down.
Acting quickly they ran to the pool at the back of Dragon Mountain, there was a large water fall at one end, roaring in the night.
They drank all they could, but they knew they couldn't carry water. They drank until they felt like they were so full of water they could have drank the pool, and rushed off away again.
"It'll make the journey harder if we have something to carry." Said Stone, throwing a carcass of a deer over his shoulder.
"Your right, we'll eat the small things first, then just take bits off the big things now and again." Nodded Dream.
They rested for a while, waiting for their food to go down.
There was a gap in the trees, and Dream saw Dragus staring down at him.
"Do you think it's wise to go tonight, we did say we'd go on a night when Dragus isn't watching." Said Dream, turning to Stone.
"We'll never get another night like this Dream, we'll have to hope that Dragus isn't a snitch." Sighed Stone, getting off the ground. Dream chuckled momentarily, and then followed Stone out of the back of the woods.
"Do you know which way Enemco is?" Asked Dream.
"No, not quite. I know it's to the South though." Said Stone, looking worried.
"Well that's pretty pointless. At least I know where they are." Tutted Dream. "I've seen a wall map before, the South of the woods is to the back. Directly down is Enemco, so we're going the right way."
"Why did you ask then?" Said Stone, looking at his friend in a very surprised manner.
"To see if I could get away following and not being followed." Said Dream, and walked in front of Stone.
"You don't like being a leader?" Asked Stone in shock, he always thought Dream as an adventurer.
"Not particularly no, I don't like the feeling of being depended on. I like to feel the one who can complain when we've gone the wrong way." Laughed Dream, as he tore through the bushes. "Ouch! Do you have to fling those branches so hard?" Cried Stone, rubbing his side as Dream pushed back branches and twigs.
"It's not my fault this wood is so thick." Sneered Dream. Like you I guess. He thought to himself, then wished he hadn't thought it.
Soon he saw open land ahead, and pushed quicker. Dream was slightly claustrophobic, so he really wanted to get out. Even more branches flung and stung Stones face, but he didn't bother to complain.
Dream breathed a sigh of relief when they got out, and he looked into the distance.
Far away, he could see part of the land mark they were heading for.
The True Mountain.

They walked in the long springy grass, bouncing slightly in excitement. For a while they walked in silence, small pointless noises sounding loud and tremendous in the quiet dark.
Finally Dream broke the silence.
"We're risking our necks out here." He said, glancing at Stone.
"Why? It's just a boring grass land. Nothing much." Said Stone, kicking the ground. A cloud of dust rose quickly, and Stone coughed and waved his arms to try and drive it down.
"You haven't ever heard of him?" Gasped Dream, looking at Stone in surprise.
"Heard of who?" Asked Stone, feeling a bit left out.
"Stealth! The True Dragon who retreated to the grass lands, he eats anything. He even eats dragons who cross into his lands, he's so quiet he could be walking right behind you and you wouldn't hear him." Said Dream, and Stone laughed quietly.
"Oh yeah, pull the other one!" Chuckled Stone, then thought for a while. He looked behind him, and just saw the woods. He looked in front of him, and he just saw long grass.
"Why are you so worried if you don't believe it?" Asked Dream, a massive grin on his face.
"I was looking for other things if you must know." Lied Stone, he knew Dream wouldn't believe him but he didn't care.
They walked along, guided by the light of Draguses Eye, looking everywhere for unseen dangers. "What is this place called? It's so big!" Gasped Stone, Dream sat down and took a deep breath.
"We'll never cross it all tonight. There's a river not far from us. Anyway, it's called The Field of Stealth." Said Dream, taking a bite out of the carcass he was carrying.
"Should we get to the river then stop?" Asked Stone, dropping his load.
"Yeah, I think we should. We'll be able to get water there, we can wash this food. They're covered in stuff already." Said Dream, peeling a squashed dragon fly off his food.
They dragged their stock a long way, until they heard the roar of water. Thing is, they didn't see it.
"This grass is way too long! How are we supposed to see over the stuff?" Cried Stone in frustration, pushing the grass down.
Dream threw down his food and just stomped on the grass, flattening it and running over.
Stones mind was furious, he just wanted to throw the stuff in and go to sleep.
Which was exactly what he did.
He threw the food he was carrying over, and he heard and felt the tremendous splash of it falling in.
Suddenly his mind cooled down and started thinking.
How strong is the river? He thought to himself, and ran through the grass to look. He wasn't at all pleased, it was a strong deep wide river. The food was flowing down too fast for him to get.
"Well done, you deserve a clap for that." Sneered Dream sarcastically.
"Sorry, I was frustrated and tired." Snapped Stone back.
Not to mention stupid, and pretty hungry soon. Thought Dream.
They rested by the river, and Dream washed his food, and shared a little with Stone.
"You'll have to go back now and get some more food, pronto." Said Dream.
"What!?" Exclaimed Stone, standing up quickly and staring at Dream.
"Joke! Joke!" Laughed Dream, covering his face with his claws.
"Good, I wouldn't go back alone if you gave me all the powers of the True Dragons combined." Said Stone, slumping down on the ground. He sipped the water and sat back up again. "When do we start off again?" Asked Stone, wiping his mouth.
Dream looked up at the sky.
"When the sun has set tomorrow. We can only travel at night, or else we'll be seen." Said Dream.
"Not to mention in trouble." Added Stone.
"Yeah well, they'll do anything but kill us." Sighed Dream, and laid his head on his claws.
"You know this Stealth dragon, tell me about him." Said Stone, lying square with his ears pricked.
"He's black, and he's fast. He can kill and take away his prey in about a minute. He's totally silent, he has never spoken or made a noise. Except from the funny spitting noise he makes when he goes in for his prey.
He can fly very high, but chooses to fly low. He's also very, very strange with his legs." Said Dream, Stone looked at him expectantly.
"Tell me more then!" Stone said.
Dream sighed and continued, "He doesn't have any front legs, just two back legs and his wings. I don't know how he manages to walk with them." Dream took a breath and carried on. "He's the longest dragon in the world, apart from the serpent dragons of course. He has the most powerful jaws, and could crush your skull with a snap of the jaws. His teeth are so sharp that if you even just tap them, you would have a deep cut in you."
Stone just stared at him in amazement.
"You are making this up aren't you?" Asked Stone slowly.
Dream shook his head seriously. It was a shake Stone knew that wasn't a fake, he sighed and looked away.
He had lead himself into an adventure, and a life threatening journey.
They decided to sleep, as the Eye of Dragus was closing and the Eye of Radius was beginning to open.
They slept through the glorious day, the seeds drifting across the long grass plains. Birds dived and swooped in the sky, deer leaped across quickly, afraid of the hidden terror in the long grass. The river roared and the deep blue water sparkled in the sun, it was not a sight to miss, but they had to miss it, or they would have no energy for the night journey.
The sky was clear and blue, only a few clouds in the sky. They thought it better to think it was a terrible day, so they would not wish to see it again.

They woke, the night silent and dangerous. A cool breeze drifted across their faces, but something felt dangerous in it. They sniffed the air, it smelt bad. They didn't know what was wrong, but something was.
Stone lifted himself slowly off the ground, and strained his legs for a few moments. Then he fell to the ground again, and closed his eyes.
"Can't we sleep for longer?" He groaned, his mouth the only thing moving on his body.
Dream got up, and stumbled around in the dark. He saw a gray shape lying on the ground, and sat on it heavily.
"Ouch! Get off of me!" Cried Stone, leaping off the ground and staring at the surprised Dream. "Sorry, you look like a rock in the dark." Apologized Dream, lifting himself up and dusting himself down.
"That was an insult." Sneered Stone, folding his arms.
The air echoed in silence, but it was too quiet. The owls weren't hooting, the bugs weren't chirping, the animals weren't moving. The only thing that was moving was the crows, circling endlessly in the sky, looking down now and again.
"Why are they up there?" Asked Stone.
"Why do you think? They eat dead bodies that other animals have caught, or just ones that have died." Answered Dream.
Stone had a worried look on his face, Dream puzzled over him.
"What's the matter?" Asked Dream, Stone had started shivering.
"Well their circling above us aren't they?! They hover above animals that are about to be killed don't they?! Don't you get it man?!" Screamed Stone, sweat rolled down his face.
He dashed backwards and forth, looking in the grass, pulling it back and quickly looking. "Your not worried about Stealth are you?" Asked Dream cautiously.
"Yes it's Stealth! Who else could rip us apart here?!" Screamed Stone, Dream was very worried about his friend.
Some dragons killed themselves in these instances, going mad with fear or anger. They would get so angry they would throw themselves off a cliff, or jump into a wild river. Dream was worried that Stone was going to do the same thing, in this case throw herself in the river.
"Calm down Stone, nothings going to happen to us." Said Dream soothingly, laying a wing over Stones back.
Stone threw it off, and stared at Dream hard, with fire in his eyes. He said nothing, but the eyes explained it all easily.
Suddenly Stone looked away, and stared at the grass to the left of him.
He was frozen in time, locking his muscles in his body and not moving an inch.
Dream started to think he had died of shock, and moved slightly. He touched Stones side, and pinched hard.
Last time he had tried it Stone had retaliated hard, but now he did nothing. Dream pinched harder and harder, so hard his claws dug into Stones flesh. Blood trickled down his back, and dripped onto the floor.
Dream stood back, and waited for a reaction. Stone still stared at the grass opening.
He was tired of all this staring, until Dream too noticed something about the grass.
The grass was a very light delicate green colour, everywhere was just green, except the river and sky.
But there, in the grass, was a small patch of black.
What is it? Thought Dream nervously.
Suddenly a black shape lunged at them, a spitting hissing noise ringing in the air.
They both dived out of the way, Dream dived into the grass, and hid and watched.
Stone must have hid as well, for only Stealth was there. He blended perfectly into the dark, but Dreams eyesight was good. He good see Stealth perfectly.
Stealths eyes were a burning red, his teeth pure white with no remains of blood or flesh. He had gray legs and wing skins. The rest of his body was black. His tongue flicked in and out, with no fork at the end. It was a pure blood red. He also had a sore red-pinkish scar sliced along his face. Dream had never heard about that.
He didn't dare breath or even shift slightly, Stealths ears were large and kept flicking from the back of his neck to right up. His jaws were slightly open, and red drool frothed around his mouth. He licked his lips and looked around quickly. His long body was so smooth and without bumps he could have been a slide.
His two back legs were strong and powerful, as they were the only things he had to walk on. He looked weird, ground bound animals were supposed to have four legs. He had two, with two wings. It did add up to four, but not how it should. He should have four legs and not two wings and legs.
He growled, and hissed and spat in annoyance. Suddenly he lunged at a part of the grass and Dream heard a deafening scream, suddenly he saw a gray shape emerge like lightening from the grass and take flight.
Like a flash afterwards so did a black shape, they took to the skies, in a battle of speed and agility. Dream was so shocked at seeing Stone fly, fear had driven to him extremes before but not this extreme.
He watched them dash through the sky, Stone having the advantage of smallness and quickness. Stealth having the element of surprise, length and agility.
Dream watched them, forgetting this was a chase of life and death, and thought of the joy of flying.
He had never tried himself, but he was desperate to. He had never disobeyed his father, but he was no longer a slave and prisoner. He was free to do whatever he wanted, and this was it. He looked at his leathery strong wings, perfect and large. He spread them, and trotted out into the gap.
Dream jumped and beat his wings, he fell to the ground. He ran along and spread them, catching the wind.
He felt himself lifting, and tucked his legs and arms under. He beat his wings and got higher, he was flying, he was drifting through the night sky. This wasn't the atmosphere he had wanted to fly in, but it was the perfect chance to use his ability.
He dashed behind Stealth, and saw Stealths two strong legs spread out long his hips and tail. It looked as if he didn't have any, Dream knew it was for aerodynamics.
Dream struggled to keep up, but for some reason his wings were quiet and the beating made hardly any sound.
He was thinking as he flew, he thought of his friend tiring and struggling to keep a head of the deadly beast.
Dream acted quick and flew beside Stealth, then quickly he took a chunk out of his side with his jaws quickly.
Stealth groaned and writhed in the sky, he had no front legs to grab the wound with, so he substituted them with his wings. He made a parachute with them, and started to descend. Dream thought he was safe, until Stealth flew up again and snarled and hissed at Dream. Suddenly Dream was the chased, and Stealth was the chaser.
Dream flew fast and flew swift, hearing the slashing of teeth behind him made him fly faster. He must be exceeding his capability, he was one of the fastest dragons in the Plain Dragon Lands. Something must be helping him, because no animal or Dragon no matter how fast could never keep ahead of Stealth for long.
Suddenly Stealth dived, and Dream was alone. But he kept flying, he kept on going until he was confused.
He stopped in mid air.
He had flown quite high, the clouds were below him. He saw no sign of Stealth, but knew he was somewhere.
The clouds were as still as they ever were, and Dream had doubts that Stealth could be this quiet. But his doubts turned to fright as something shot through the clouds and struck him with two vicious claws.
Dream started falling, and felt the air rush past him. It made him feel sick, the sudden rush of gravity and air.
His stomach heaved, but nothing came up. He spread his wings, and he stopped suddenly. He opened his until-now-closed eyes, and swallowed hard.
He was a couple of meters above the ground. He floated slowly down.
Dream crouched low, and looked at his wound. It was sore and bleeding, he licked it gently.
He looked up, and saw the black shape diving quickly.
An idea spun into his head, he sat firm. But raised his haunches slightly.
He got himself ready, for the part of his plan that was most important.
As Stealth drew closer the more aware he was that his plan might fail, he might not run in time. Suddenly he saw that Stealth was so close he could see the back of his eyes, he sprinted so quickly he felt ill.
He heard such a tremendous crash that he thought it couldn't be something hitting the ground.
Dream felt dust engulf his back, and blood trickle onto his tail.
He turned round slowly, and saw the most awful sight he had ever seen.
A black limp body lay crumpled on the ground, blood all around it.
His tongue was lolling out of his mouth, his eyes tightly shut in pain.
Stealths wings were torn and bleeding, His claws broken and his teeth shoved into his lower lip.
Dream had planned to knock him out and get away, not kill him painfully.
He slowly walked over to the body, and put a sympathetic claw on his side.
Dream could feel his bones, he must have been ever so desperate to eat, so he tried to kill two dragons.
This wasn't a beast with no feelings, that hunted and killed for the thrill of it. This was a Dragon, and it had the natural instinct to survive. This Dragon had very strong instincts.
"I'm sorry." Wept Dream, his feelings had been touched by the sight. No longer did he feel pain in his side where Stealth had tore at him, it had moved to his heart.
Dreams tears dripped onto his thin body.
Slowly one of Stealths eyes opened, it was blood shot in pain and agony.
"Your forgiven." Said Stealth, in a voice not of a males, but of a females.
Dream was shocked, the Dragon of silence had spoken! The stories of her vow to silence was not true!
She had a voice like every other Dragon!
No matter what happened, Dream would always consider himself a murderer now. At first he laughed at Stealth, then he feared Stealth, then he hurt Stealth, then he wept for Stealth.
Dream was speechless, what was he supposed to say to a half dead predator he had just about killed?
He just stared at the open eye of Stealth, and felt many words come to his mind quickly.
As he looked into her eye, he felt many thoughts of hers enter his. He knew what she was saying, it seemed like they were talking to each other in their minds.
They even had a sort of conversation, she began it.
"I'm a True Dragon." She said quietly.
"How can you be? Your legs are weird, you live here and you aren't big enough!" Cried Dream.
"Some of us can change our shape, I can for instance." Said Stealth.
"Why did you want to kill us?" Said Dream quietly.
"I have a child to feed, the food has gone down for some reason. The animals have began to understand why those who come here never come out, if they stay too long." Replied Stealth.
"You have an infant? What will happen to it?" Asked Dream.
"What do you think? The crows and other animals will get her, poor thing." Sighed Stealth.
"How come I can talk to you?" Asked Dream.
"Because all True Dragons have powers, several. One we all have is to look into dragons thoughts and exchange them. But we can only put things in ourselves and take them out ourselves, not have conversations like this. Unless the other dragons has some sort of magical powers....." Stealth said.
The conversation stopped, they went back into the real world.
"I'll get your infant, I'll take care of it. I'll take it back to Enemco with Stone and me." Said Dream.
"My lair is down a deep hole along the river. It isn't far from here. Her name's Ruby." Said Stealth.
"Will you live? I really don't want you to die, your nicer than other dragons think you are." Dream said with care.
Stealth closed her eye gently, then opened it again.
"I may not live, I may. Things are not always as they seem or as dragons say they are. Do not look with your eyes all the time, look with your mind and heart sometimes." Said Stealth.
They were her last words.
Her chest heaved for a few moments, then stopped moving at all. The blood no longer flowed, but the remains trickled out.
Dream started crying, not only had he lost a friend he could have used, but he had killed her.
Now he would take care of her infant, it was the least he could do.
He left her body, and walked off to find Stone.
After fifteen minutes of searching, Dream saw Stone lying by the river. He was tired and looked like he had just lost a golden scale in the river, and found his mother dead instead.
"She's dead." Said Dream slowly.
Suddenly Stones eyes lit up, but dulled again when he saw the sad look on Dreams face. "What's the matter? You killed him and you should be glad!" Cried Stone, patting Dream on the back.
"In fact he's a she. She has a child and we have to take care of it!" Said Dream. "She's so gentle and kind, she only wanted to feed her infant. Now she's died a horrible death. She was a True Dragon Stone, I killed a True Dragon."
Stone just stared at Dream in disbelief.
"Wait wait wait, tell me the whole story." Said Stone, and sat down on a log.
So Dream told him all about it, about planning to knock her out by making her hit the ground. About having a conversation in their minds, about her last words.
"Okay then, we'll go get her infant. I bet it's so weak it'll die." Said Stone, looking on the dark side. They walked along the river, until they saw a lot of grass lying in one place.
"Guess she's never met any higher intelligence than a deer." Thought Stone aloud.
"Even then, I could of thought of a better way to hide the entrance." Replied Dream, kicking aside the grass.
There was a high pitched scream from the inside, which made Dream and Stone jump back. It screamed shortly seven more times, then went silent.
Warily, going slowly and trying not to make much sound, the two crept down, crouching to get through.
It got darker and darker, and Dream really wished he had the power to breath fire. He felt a burning urge in his throat, start tossing in his stomach and torching him inside. He held his stomach tight, and tried to hold the pain, it climbed up his mouth.
The path was wet and squelchy, having been exposed to rain. It was slippery, and you had to concentrate to not slip. Dream wasn't concentrating, and fell into the mud.
He felt it was cool, and swallowed some to dowse the hotness. It wasn't the taste he would like to try again, never again in fact. But he heard a sizzling from deep inside, and he suddenly cooled up. He found he was in the dark tunnel alone, Stone had walked on.
"Stone?!" He croaked into the darkness. He heard squelching footsteps come towards him, and saw the faint outline of Stone.
"What are you doing down there?" He asked, helping up Dream.
"I tripped." Replied Dream quickly, and they walked on.
Within minutes they came to the main chamber, which was massive. There was no sign of the infant, but there was a noise coming from somewhere.
"Maybe she's hidden her. Any animal could push the grass aside and come down, only smart dragons would guess she was hidden." Said Dream, searching the dark dry walls. Suddenly his claws were caught on something, hard and large. He pulled at it, and it moved. He pulled it away, and saw in the darkness, two round large red eyes, staring at them in fear. The eyes didn't close, but just kept looking at them, waiting.
"Well? Aren't you going to eat me?" She asked quietly.
"We're not going to eat for goodness sake. We aren't cannibals." Scoffed Dream.
"But your foxes!" She exclaimed.
"As if, we're dragons." Said Stone, even though it was pitch black, they could sense a smile had spread across her face.
"What kind of dragons?" She asked hopefully.
Dream expected her to be a bit disappointed at their answer.
"We're Plain Dragons, we have some news for you." Said Dream, she sighed and turned away for a second.
Dream nodded at Stone, Dream wanted Stone to tell her.
"Your mother is dead, and we are here to take you back to Enemco and take care of you." Said Stone, quite quickly and without pauses.
Suddenly the infant froze, her eyes were wide with fear and anger.
Something rolled down from her eye, and Stone and Dream heard something splash onto the ground.
"My mother's dead? How!?" She cried, more tears splashing onto the ground.
"She nose-dived quickly into the ground," Stone paused and looked at Dream, "Trying to catch dinner."
The little infant dropped to the ground, and closed her eyes.
"I'm not going anywhere, I'm staying here." She said sternly, with a hint of sniffing in her voice.
"Then you'll die, and your mother'll be even more upset. She wanted you to go home, she really did." Said Dream, reaching out and putting a claw on her shoulder.
"How many legs?" She suddenly asked, sitting up and pushing his claw away.
"Four." He replied.
"Your freaks! How dare you disobey nature! Your not a dragon your an ant! A six legged insect!" She cried, and ran as fast as she could up the tunnel out into the light.
Dream and Stone ran after her, tucking their wings in tight so as not to scratch them on the walls. They saw her collapsed on the ground, two legs and two wings.
"I'm not traveling with her!" Grunted Stone, his nostrils wide open.
Dream looked at the exhausted frightened dragon laying on the ground. He remembered her name, Ruby. She was an albino dragon, white all over with bright red eyes. Even her claws were white.
"Go away! I'd rather die!" She screamed. "I want to be with my mother!"
She scrambled to get away, but she was too weak and her large floppy wings got in her way.
"She'll be upset, she wants you to go with us." Said Dream soothingly.
"I don't care what she thinks!" Growled Ruby back, "I want to see her!"
Dream grabbed Rubys back wing and pulled her to the spot where Stealth had landed. Where she had laid, there was no longer her body. Instead, was a necklace, with a small ruby inside a large round smooth pebble.
Ruby picked it up with her wing claw, and slipped it over her head.
"She said she would give it to me." Ruby sighed. "Said it meant that a small treasure laid inside a big hard world. I stood out against every other dull thing."
"I wish I knew my mother." Whispered Dream to himself.
Ruby looked at him, and Dream dried her tears.
"I'll go with you, only for her. Don't mean I like you." She sniffed, and Dream carried her back to Stone.
Dream noticed something on the back of the stone, there was a large black diamond. He showed this to Ruby, who started crying again. But she wouldn't say anything.
"What's the matter? What does it mean?" Asked Dream, as Rubys tears ran onto the stone.
"You may have looked everywhere,
you may feel your heart is bare,
but look farther than you can see,
and there I will be."
Ruby sung softly, and Dream knew what it meant. It was a lullaby that True Dragons sung to their infants. Only True Dragons knew what it meant, Plain Dragons were a little confused.
You can't look farther than you can see, or you'll be going on forever. You can't go looking for someone forever.
Plain Dragons were more logic and brain wise than True Dragons, True Dragons liked to be more mysterious, and leave question unanswered.
But for some reason, Dream knew what it meant, in a strange way that he couldn't explain.
"Don't worry, you'll find her." Dream said comfortingly.
"No I won't, she's dead." Cried Ruby.
"She may be, she may not be." Said Dream, and put Ruby on the ground.
"We'll have to move on now. After the field we've got The Mouth to cross." Said Dream, and they walked on, they could now see the end of the field, but now they had not to worry of the terror they had feared. But in fact, they would have rather died, then made life a misery for a small infant.

In the dark night walking was easy for Dream and Stone, who had gotten used to it quickly. But Ruby had never ventured out of her mothers den, the world was a dangerous and scary place she was not keen to go.
"Something will eat me! You won't notice me going!" She cried, hanging on to Dreams wings. She preferred him more to Stone, after him saying he didn't want to travel with her. Ruby found Dream was more close to her than Stone was, why she just couldn't work out.
"Why is it called The Mouth? Is there a gigantic monster there?" Ruby asked, jogging to keep up with the two young dragons.
"It's called The Mouth because from a distance the land shaped around the water looks like a mouth. No, there aren't any monsters." Dream paused and thought for a while. "Well, unless you count Serpent Dragons as monsters. But then again they live every where, even in No Creatures Land."
"What are Serpent Dragons?" Asked Ruby, she had begun to get annoying.
"Very long Dragons." Replied Dream.
"Do they eat other dragons?" Ruby asked, she liked asking questions.
"Not usually, no." Said Dream, he had got bored of looking at her when he answered so he just kept looking ahead.
"So could I get eaten?" She asked.
Dream stopped and stared at her.
"Look, ask these questions some other time. I could just leave you here if you get very annoying!" Snapped Dream, Ruby closed her jaws tightly.
"Good." Said Dream sternly, seeing her scared expression.
They walked in silence, and I mean silence. Not one creature stirred, the wind didn't blow, the trees didn't rustle, no other creatures moved. It was so silent, they could hear it pounding in their ears.
Ahead of them they could see a vast thin blue line, ink blue. Only Dream and Stone knew what it was, and the dangers it held. Ruby was oblivious, that she was being led into a death trap.

Dream had only small ideas about the mouth, and about the creatures that dwelled around them. Serpent dragons were not considered proper dragons, and were largely thought of as pests. They were scavengers or barbarians. They would never hunt for their food by themselves, they always attacked one creature with about twenty of themselves. They were very bad at hunting, so using all their strength helped them. They were very long, they had long bodies and extra long tails. They only had two legs, but they had hands on their wings. They were not terribly colourful, they only gained colour if they became more important. The bottom feeders were a drab brown, while the leader was so many different colours you couldn't count. Usually the lower ones were more plain, small ears, no frills or horns.
The leaders of more important ones had plenty of frills, large ears and had plenty of horns. But none of them had the gift of fire, they had been banished of using that power long ago.
Dream was scared of the Serpent Dragons, if they were hungry enough, they might eat him. It was a plentiful season, rain and shine. So he hoped that the Serpent Dragons were very full, it they met them. Preferably he wouldn't like to.
Dream knew that Stone was a kind of expert on Serpent Dragons, he had collected all every-one knew, and put them together in his mind.
"How long do you think before we reach it?" Asked Ruby, it had been ages since she had spoken.
"We'll make it tonight, I'm sure of it." Replied Dream, the thin blue line had gotten wider and bigger, they were very close.
Ruby was thinking, thinking hard. She knew words, she knew lots, more than you would have expected.
The problem was, she couldn't say the words. So she would have to weight until she learnt them. Serpent dragons can't be very good, he doesn't want to talk about them. I must expect the worst from these dragons, and I mustn't trust these two too much. Ruby thought to herself, she knew asking more questions would get him very angry, so she kept her slender mouth shut.
Within fifteen minutes, they were there. At the beach of the mouth.
Large hills ran along the edges, and the beach was jagged. The sand was red and sticky, many deaths and sacrifices had taken place on the beach. The Serpent Dragons were very religious, and would sacrifice anything to make their gods happy.
Even themselves.
They sacrificed their children, their families, but only one dragons among them was not allowed to be sacrificed. He was the leader, Kroth.
Kroth had been the first Serpent Dragon, he was so old nobody knew exactly how old he was. He was ancient and evil, and he would not let any dragon even touch him. Only ones he had chosen could speak to him, he could speak to anybody. He was very colourful and had horns running from his nose to the tip of his tail. Starting off large and ending up tiny, he had four spikes sat on the very tip of his long, massive tail. His ears were massive, and were connected to all of his face, making it look like the frill of a Triceratops. He had spikes on his knees and frills on his thighs and on each side of his chest. His jaws were long, strong and slender, his eyes long and squinted from the years of having to watch the world around him. Many of his so-called followers wanted to kill him, they had been ruled by him for so long, they were tired of his strict rules. He could hardly sleep, and couldn't even hire a guard to watch over him, as that guard might cease the chance to kill him. So he slept up a tree.
He would dig a hole in the bark, and put grass and bird feathers in there for him to lie on. Nobody knew which massive tree he slept in, for there was an entire wood of them. If somebody did find out, he would move quickly, for they would try to get him as soon as possible. Kroth was now feared by all dragons, so all the Serpent Dragons followed him and obeyed him, no matter what. If he told one to kill himself by cutting himself open and tearing out his own heart, he would do it right away, and would not scream. Only certain out-casts would hate him, and they lived on forest island, West of the Mouth. The entire island was totally forest, and only a tiny part of the North cost had no trees. Some Dragons would fight to the death for ownership of that part, most killed each other.
Dream sniffed the blood on the beach, it was mixed, dragon and creature alike. There were no birds in the skies, all you could see were clouds.
Birds were too afraid to fly, the Serpent Dragons would quickly catch them and do disgusting things to them, like cut them into tiny pieces bit by bit. Or making a hole in their skull and hanging them upside down and leaving them there until they die. They weren't so kind as to just kill them, it had to be a great ceremony and last long.
"Why is the beach red?" Asked Ruby.
"You don't want to know." Replied Dream.
"I do." Said Ruby.
"You don't." Said Dream sternly, and Ruby shut up.
"How do we get across? The Serpent Dragons will see us if we fly. You know what lurks in the water as well, so flying low won't be much better." Said Stone, looking for a way round.
Dream looked at the cloud sky, and suddenly an idea rushed into his mind.
"Let's fly above the clouds, they won't be able to see us!" Dream Exclaimed suddenly, nearly leaping into the air.
His voice echoed into the air, and they could hear it echoing the other side.
"I think we better go, quickly." Said Stone.
They flew up into the air, but suddenly they heard a noise below them.
A large white shape was standing screaming at them.
"Ruby." They both said together, and started flying down.
As they landed, another few shapes landed on the beach.
Dream and Stone looked up, to three massive Serpent Dragons.
"Well, well, well. What have we got here? Now just let me think." The first one said with an evil grin.
"I think I know what they are, can you guess Jaws?" Asked the second one, he had a three claw marks across his eye.
"Yeah, I know exactly what they are." Said the third, licking his lips with a long red tongue.
Dream saw their teeth gleaming, blood stained and sharp.
They all gathered round Dream, Stone and Ruby, staring at them hungrily. Suddenly the third lunged at Dream, but suddenly stopped.
The first was holding onto his tail.
"No, no, no. We don't go eating our good leaders sacrifices Jaws! We just capture them and let him decide what to do with these trespassers." Tutted the first one.
"But Dagger! I'm hungry!" Whined Jaws.
"No, we'll get in deep trouble if we even touch these scraps." She said, and shoved Jaws away.
"I'm taking the gray one!" Shouted the second one, Thrash.
"Well then, I'm having the Gold one!" Gnarled the first one, Dagger.
"So I'm left with the titchey one. Well at least she's easier to carry, the little shrimp." Growled Jaws, scooping up Ruby easily.
The other two grabbed Stone and Dream, and flew across the water quickly, so quickly, it seemed like a few seconds had gone by.
Well, Dream thought, At least we're getting across.

On the other side, it was very, very different.
The trees were full of holes, all in which Serpent Dragons emerged, poking their heads out. Seeing the three catches, they rushed out to try and grab one.
"Get off! We found 'em! Go away!" Screeched Dagger, pushing all the desperately hungry families away. They soon got to the stone alter, where Kroth was sitting. He was a very long figure, his body curled up and twisting everywhere. He was black with white arrows down his back, and spines rattling constantly. His ears were large and laid back, his eyes closed and in thought. He moved his head slightly, and opened his eyes. The throne on which he was sitting on was made of black silver, and was encrusted with rubies, gems, diamonds and emeralds. It was really a statue of a Serpent Dragon, but it was curled up in a certain way so he could sit in the center of it.
"What?" He said, hardly moving himself.
He was sitting straight and tall, and gradually looked up at the sky.
The three bowed in front of Kroth, and pushed forward Dream, Stone and Ruby. Kroth looked down, his long neck extending and his frills moving forward. His long spine horns rattled on his neck as he shifted.
"Where did you find them?" He said slowly, using all of his mouth when he spoke.
"On the other side leader, standing on the beach poking around." Replied Dagger, not looking up.
"Good work, this will feed us well. You may fly to the top of Kroths mountain, and take a creature of your choice to eat. Each." Said Kroth, pulling Dream, Stone and Ruby onto the alter with his tail.
The three Serpent Dragons got up, and flew away quickly, without saying a word.
"So, you were on my beach? What kind of penalty does that deserve you think?" Said Kroth, looking down at the three of them.
"Please don't kill us...." Stone tried.
Suddenly he felt a sting whip across his back, Kroth had just whipped him with his tail.
"Don't you dare look at me when you speak! It was not a direct question either." Kroth snapped.
Stone felt the icy chill of fear creep up his spine, nearly making his scales break.
Dream glanced quickly at Stones back, a long red bleeding line ran along it. It looked so painful and sore that you couldn't describe words for it.
"If any more of you do what he has just done, the punishment will be more serious." Kroth growled.
He looked with satisfaction at the three puny dragons he had been bought, he could get a lot of information.
"You!" He snapped at Stone.
Stone didn't look up, he just listened.
"What breed of dragon are you?" He sneered, Stone only just managed to keep his head down.
"Plain." Replied Stone simply.
"Plain what?" Demanded Kroth.
"A Plain dragon." Answered Stone. Suddenly Kroths tail whipped across his back.
"You do not even know how to reply to me! A Plain Dragon, my Leader. Say it!" Growled Kroth.
"A Plain dragon, my Leader." Cringed Stone, trying not scream in pain.
Kroth smiled wickedly.
"Good. Now you, shrimpy one. What breed are you?" He asked Ruby, who now knew what the consequences were.
She thought for a while, if she said she was serpent, even though it would be lying, she could get away with it. It she said she was True, they would probably have even more reason to rip her to shreds.
"A Serpent dragon, my Leader." She replied, a slight tremble in her voice.
Kroth stared at her.
"Look at me." He demanded, and Ruby slowly raised her head.
She felt Kroths icy stare go deep into her eyes, and flood into her brain. She felt her body shiver and shake with the coldness, and she felt some-one shifting through her mind.....
"Liar! She is not one of us! She is a True!" Shouted Kroth, raising his massive wings.
A great chatter arose from the crowd, and some shouted curses at Ruby.
"You, shrimp, shall die first. Tomorrow at sunrise, after some beating information out of you." Sneered Kroth.
Ruby knew she was True, and being True she must have powers. She had always envied her mother, looking into minds and putting things there. The other power, she knew she could not have. But something had to replace it. Fire was the only thing she could not do, for her stomach and throat couldn't take the heat. She would find out that day, there, what her other power was, and how it would help her.....
She closed her eyes tightly, and concentrated on Kroths mind. It was strong, and it had many things locked up. When she opened them, she wished she hadn't.
Let them go Kroth. Let them go., Kroth heard in his head, he looked around, but saw no one speaking.
Now Kroth, let them go now. Or I'll punish you, I mean it. The voice inside his head carried on.
He gripped his head with his wing claws, and clenched his sharp teeth.
"Who is doing it?! Who is putting thoughts into my mind?!" He screamed, shaking wildly. I am not happy with you Kroth. I'll give you two more chances, then I'm punishing you. I'm waiting Kroth. The voice in his head was getting louder, and more determined. Kroths mind was old, and it was stiff. But Ruby was doing well, even if she didn't know it.
"I wont let them go! Go away!" He shouted, and started scratching his head like a dog.
His eyes burned with fire, and he writhed with anger.
One more chance Kroth, one more chance. Remember my powers Kroth.
"Ahhhhhh!" Screamed Kroth, he felt bolts of pain dig into his head. The world swirled around him. Everything turned red, all the dragons withered to bone. The spirits of all he had murdered and sentenced to death began to haunt him, digging into him and hurting his old brain. But one thing remained the same, Ruby was still sitting there.
"You know my powers now Kroth. Let us go." Demanded Ruby.
Kroths eyes burned with anger, and partly with fear.
"Why should I? You're just weakling skins filled with guts!" Growled Kroth.
Ruby looked up at him, and gazed at him hard. Her red eyes were no longer young, curious and innocent. They were older, they were filled with determination and understanding. For a moment or two, she knew everything.
"If you do not agree to let us go. I will make you Kroth, you will feel more pain." Said Ruby in a low stern voice, now Kroth was afraid.
"I am True Kroth, and so is my heart. Yours is not, but I will forgive you if you no longer sacrifice your loyal followers and their families. I will come back if you harm any more creatures Kroth. I will." Continued Ruby.
"No! I'll never give in! I am older and stronger than you!" Kroth was no longer calm, he no longer hid his feelings. They were all coming out at once, making his life a misery.
"They'll think your mad, they'll come up and kill you...." Ruby said, looking back to the spirits behind her.
"No, they can't! Their dead!" Kroth looked in fear at the advancing red figures. She stabbed his head with disgusting thoughts and old sacrifices.
"You can go!!" He screamed, closing his eyes tight and bending down his long snaky neck. Everything pulled back in a flash, and the world was normal again.
He opened his eyes, everyone was looking at him, waiting.
"You can go." He sighed, in a slight sneer.
A sudden noise came from the crowd, all chatting to each other like school children. "Silence! A vision has told me, that no longer will sacrifices be needed. Damaco no longer desires them, he wants peace to be among us!" He announced to his followers. He looked at Ruby as they walked away from them. "For a while."
Ruby smiled, and a spark of magic shimmered in her red eyes.
They walked away, and off to their destination. Free for the while.

They were hungry, but most animals had became quicker and smarter. They had to, to survive the serpent dragons.
"I will never know what made him do that. He just started screaming and writhing about. Some forces must have got the better of him." Sighed Stone, he had no clue what Ruby had done to him.
Dream remembered the way Ruby was looking at him, and he looked at Ruby. She looked back, and winked.
"I don't know either, a mystery from Damaco at its best." Replied Dream, and Ruby nodded thankfully.
They wandered in silence, they weren't sure what they were doing at all. Ahead there was a small forest, there were plenty of noises coming from it strangely. It looked darker than most things, shadows sprung from it as the Eye of Radius began to open, and the Eye of Dragus was closing.
"We'll take shelter there for the day." Announced Dream, looking at his comrades.
They looked uncertain, but didn't know anywhere better to go.
Even he looked wary, but anywhere else would be dangerous.
As they entered, three shapes flew across the sky. Each had something dangling from its mouth, some of the dangling things were still moving.
Ruby looked at Dream.
"What were they?" She asked him.
"Those three dragons that caught us, with their prey." Replied Dream, standing in the shade of the wood.
"Will they come for us?" Asked Ruby, clutching Dreams claw.
"No, not if Kroth tells them not to." Said Dream.
Ruby just smiled, she had sort of enjoyed the incident with Kroth. In a sort of pleasurable way.
They bedded down in the woods, finding a safe place where they were close but could dash for a safe hiding place.
They were near a foxes den, they could easily chase the foxes out. They made sure their tails were put closely together, so if one was to go the other one would notice.
Dream fell to sleep quickly, the day flashed by him quickly. Soon his mind was rewinding, far far back to before he was born. So far back he didn't recognize anything, it seemed like his mind was working with another force.

He saw a beautiful valley, hills and forests galore. Long grass, fresh and green. He saw flowers blooming and clear streams running. A roaring river of deep blue crashed by, trees leaning over as if they wanted to see their reflection.
Birds flew in their many across the light blue sky, the fluffy clouds drifting along as if they had no cares. He saw animals running free across the beautiful valley, free and happy.
Above all he saw dragons, flying and walking and swimming. Young ones played and older ones did anything, males came back with food for their families.
But the very most dominating feature was a mountain, three times bigger than Dragon Mountain. Three times as many caves, and one massive one at the top.
Dragons flew fro these caves, they breathed fire and worked magic. They were powerful, colourful and graceful. Dream felt no jealousy though. Somehow he felt at home with these massive creatures, he felt at home with magic and fire.
Suddenly the sky turned black, the birds fell to the ground. The animals and dragons stopped and looked up, a storm was beginning to rage in the sky.
Suddenly a mass of things shot down and attacked, females and infants were struck down and killed brutally. When shapes stopped momentarily, he could work them. They were mixed.
He spotted Griffins, he spotted Serpent Dragons. But when he spotted the third element in the rage, he felt rage also. He felt anger and he felt pain strike his heart.
They were Plain Dragons, they were not of his blood though. He felt no relationship with them, his heart was with the True. But he could not stop the blood-shed, he was a looker-on of the consequences.
He had no part to play, as the scene turned black and red. He felt his body shiver in the cold, as bodies turned to bones. The grass and trees turned to sand. The streams and the river dried out and also became to sand. The hills became lower, until they were high dunes. A wind blew the sand gently, the only element sand and bones. Dream looked towards the mountain, and watched it crumble.
Soon the whole world he looked upon was gone, all that remained was sand and bones. Dry, dry bones of no life. He felt even himself was dead, he was a bone, looking from the ground.
He felt himself harden and his body had no feelings, his brain was a blur.
But one thing remained, one element that he would build himself on. His heart, he still had his soul and his heart was still there. Steadily he rose from the ground, his body becoming one again. He ran into the sand dunes, he ran towards one thing he knew was his destination.
Three balls glowed, one light blue, one red, and one black. He took the light blue one, and pushed it and threw it. It stopped glowing, and just sat on the sand, and sank into it.
He next hit the Red one down, but treated it more roughly. He broke it in half, with some difficulty, and magic leaked out into the desert. The two halves sunk separately into the ground, deeper and more forgotten.
Then he glared at the black one, he hit it, but it hardly moved. He hit it again and again, and soon a small leak appeared. He kept on hitting it, and the crack got bigger and bigger.
But it didn't burst open, his normal strength was not enough.
He felt himself burn up inside, with frustration and anger. He opened his mouth to roar, but fire blared out. It felt hotter and looked brighter than the sun. Good magic flickered in it, and the ball shattered into millions of tiny pieces, which didn't bury themselves, but disappeared completely. Dream stood on the dunes, and suddenly watched the whole world come together again. Bones turned to creatures, the sand turned to grass and trees. The high sand dunes rose and became the grass hills. The rocky pile became the mountain once again.
The river and streams filled with water and rushed more life into the world. It was the same again, birds flew and creatures ran. Dream joined them, and lay in the sunshine.
Then, on the beautiful horizon, two figures stood there. One was tall and muscled, and plain. The other was long, and had many different colours gleaming. He only had two back legs, and two wings. From behind the two, rose two armies, and then joined together to make one.
Then the army rushed towards them, not for battle, but to let them join on. They did, and all were one.
He was alone, all were waiting for him. He could join them if he wanted the rest of his life to be lead normally with the whole place joined. Or, he could make another choice. He could choose to stay and protect this land from being taken over and all the magic gone.
He flew up dragon mountain, fast and easily. He stood on the very top point, with all below watching him. He knew what to do, but the dream was fading, he would forget it all soon if he didn't do it.
Everything below turned to darkness, he remained, on his side. Noises returned, noises of the night.
He looked around him, he was no longer alone.
Ruby and Stone were awake.

"Come on wake up! It's night time, time to move!" Said Stone, nudging Dream.
"Hmmm?" Mumbled Dream, and raised his head slowly.
"Come on Dream!" Sighed Stone, and head-butted him.
"Ouch! I don't need too much encouragement!" Exclaimed Dream, rubbing his side.
Dream got up and shook himself, Rubys small red eyes were shinning likes cats eyes in the dark. "We'll walk around this place, it's too bushy to walk through. Our wings'll get torn." Said Dream, as they began to walk out.
As they walked out into the open, they admired the Eye of Dragus. Tonight he was half awake, he was drowsy. He had watched too much lately, Dream thought of his size. His size must be so big, he filled the worlds beyond them and more. As for Radius, he must be so immense, that Dragus was squashed and had no room.
Then there was Damaco. Now, if Radius was ten thousand times the size of Dragus, and Dragus filled galaxies, and Damaco was infinity the times of Radius, then he didn't know how big he must be.
He must be everywhere, and anywhere. Thought Dream, letting the breeze cool his hand as he put it into the air. He had almost forgotten his dream, only few things remained of it. The one moment when he stood at the top of the mountain, knowing exactly what to do and how to do it. Know he knew nothing, even what his choices were. Now he was oblivious that this dream had any meaning at all.
The stars were out, in their millions upon millions. Souls looked down on him, they talked among themselves about him. They knew that he knew, he knew that they knew. They understood each other, but not in a two way talking manner.
"What are you looking at?" Asked Ruby, breaking his train of thought.
"Something." He replied.
Ruby looked puzzled, even she didn't know what he meant.
Stone looked at Dream, Stone never knew what Dream thought of. They were things way beyond Stone, his thoughts were more down to Earth than Dreams. He was a dreamer, as his name described. But sometimes, about once in a lifetime, a dream comes true. It may not be the best dream, but it usually is, but it is a dream. All dreams are wanted, and all are appreciated. But most just don't come magic, some you have to work hard for.
Everybody has a total ambition, even if they aren't sure about it.
Stone knew Dream had one, and he wasn't sure of it.
"Dream?" Asked Stone, and Dream stopped looking at the sparkling scales.
"Yes?" He answered.
"Well, I was wondering about something." Said Stone, kicking a small stone.
"Yeah?" Asked Dream.
Stone paused to think.
"Do you have any dreams?" Asked Stone.
Dream paused, he didn't know if Stone was having a laugh, or if he was serious. "Why?" Said Dream cautiously.
"I dunno, I just want to know." Shrugged Stone, he spread his wings, and looked at their dull gray colour. "I do."
"What's your dream?" Asked Dream, sitting down on a log.
"If I could have any wish in the world, it would be that I was multicolored! I could fly in the Eye of Radius, and everyone would admire me! I could also fly faster and more better than any bird or flying thing, even the Griffins couldn't catch me up! If they somehow did, I would do a fancy trick to send them off my trace. I would fly into the clouds and up so far and free......." Stone got carried away, jumping up and flapping his wings.
Dream looked at him, in a sort of 'As if' manner.
"What's yours?" Asked Stone, settling down and folding back his wings.
"I don't think I have one, really." Said Dream, lying down, with is head on his claws.
"You have to have one! Everyone does!" Exclaimed Stone.
"Well, I guess I have a little one." Sighed Stone.
"What's that?" Asked Stone.
Dream looked at the stars, glinting and sparkling millions and billions of miles above him. "I wish," He began, "That I could live somewhere where I could do anything and be anything I want. Somewhere where no one could disturb me, where I was the most powerful thing."
Stone looked at Dreams out line in the dark, even though he couldn't see very well, the glimmering gold of his scales . His two horns had grown, they were like spirals and they gently curved back the more the grew upwards.
Stone was jealous of everything on Dream, his colour, his size, his wings and horns. All Stone ever wanted to be, was admired and liked. Everything that he wasn't, he wanted dragons to look up at him. Not him look up at them, like he was doing now. He had never imagined himself to be deeply jealous, but for a couple of minutes, he was deadly jealous.
"Dream, what do you think will happen to us?" Asked Stone.
"What do I think? Well I think that we will get to Enemco, and we'll get Ruby to her father or something and we can live in Enemco forever." Said Dream, looking on the bright side.
"Not quite what I thought. I thought it most probable that we'll get killed by something or another." Said Stone, again looking on the pessimistic side.
"Ahh, now that's most probable. What you asked it what I thought was going to happen." Pointed out Dream. Stone just shrugged.
"Let's go, the night doesn't last as long as the day." Said Dream, and got up.
Stone nodded, and they walked off. They heard a flapping of wings behind them.
Ruby was falling over herself again.
"Really, I would have thought a True Dragon to have more in them." Said Stone, picking up Ruby.
"I'm not that old you know, my wings are still developing." Tished Ruby.
"Stop arguing!" Dream snapped, he wasn't angry, he just felt snapping made him feel more powerful.
He had been a little childish before, a bit scared. Now he knew being scared didn't do anything, just made you a wimp. If you wanted to go anywhere, you went straight for it. No hanging around.
Ahead he saw the next gap, then the tip of the True Mountain. A massive hill and forests were round the back of it, so all he could see was the tip.
As they walked, they felt uncertain. Something inside them was telling them something wasn't right, and soon they were going to find out.
In the distance, the rhythmic thud of many wings became louder.
"Your not flapping, are you Ruby?" Asked Dream in the darkness.
"No, why?" Replied Ruby, when her ears heard the noise as well.
"Because, something else is." Gulped Dream, and they all turned round.
There, coming quickly towards them, were four Serpent Dragons.
"Run!" Screamed Dream, and ran on all four legs.
Stone followed him, and dropped Ruby in fear.
"Come back!" She screeched, and Dream made a quick turn and scampered back to her. He picked her up in his mouth, just as the four dragons swooped down through the mists, snapping and snarling.
They flew fast, and they flew low. Their long necks stretched out, and their teeth slashing together.
Suddenly one caught Stone by the neck, and picked him up quickly.
"Ahhh!" He screamed, his legs paddling into the air. He looked down, and saw the world getting smaller and smaller.
Dream was running alone now, Stone was gone. Only the weak and tired Ruby was there, dangling in his jaws. He hoped he hadn't bitten her, he had scooped her up quite harshly.
He heard the beat of mighty wings behind him, and a growling laugh as its jaws smacked together. Suddenly with a burst of speed, the Serpent Dragon scooped him up in his back claws, like a bird.
Dream felt their altitude grow higher, and his grip on Ruby loosened.
"Don't let go!" She shrieked, clinging for dear life in Dreams jaws.
He was about to say sorry, when he remembered he had to open his mouth to speak. He took her out, and held her in his arms. She clung tight to him, holding desperately.
The flight was long, but the scene was beautiful. Below them they passed things they wished to touch and be close to, but that meant falling a bit of a way.
Ruby looked down, she knew that someday, she would fly and walk properly, and see these things for herself. Her big wings would pay off, and she would be the most graceful thing in the sky.
She would chase away the Serpent Dragons, she would think nothing of Plain Dragons, and would welcome her own kind. She seemed to welcome Dream a lot.....
Stone didn't see the good things they did, he didn't see any future. When he looked below he just felt dull, he was being carried to his doom by a monstrous Serpent Dragon, who would rip him to shreds as soon as they landed. He wished he could just jump to his certain doom below, nice and quickly. But the Dragons grasp on him was too much. The teeth were beginning to dig into his flesh.
He saw the dark world below him, which he wished tumble to. All he wanted to be now, was at Dragon Mountain with his mother and father, who were the only ones he cared about now.
He longed to see them, he wondered if they missed him, if his mother had maybe laid another egg. Stone really wanted a brother or sister, he deeply regretted what he had done ages ago. All he wanted was a brother or sister, it wasn't much to ask now.
He looked behind him, and saw the other two marveling at the world below. He just tried not to, he would do anything to be anywhere but here. Even in the jaws of an angry and very hungry Griffin, he didn't know why, he just despised Serpent Dragons. Long, and hardly anything of a dragon at all. They were barbaric and would kill anything, even their families for meat and food. They were cannibals and barbarians of the dragon race, they didn't even deserve to exist in Stones book.
He wanted them all dead, dead as his last dinner.
That brought another thing to his mind, if he wasn't going to be eaten, he would surely starve to death. He was hungry and weak, his body had been rather skinny in the first place. Dream was doing well, he was muscle and power. He could last for days, the outlook wasn't so bright for himself and Ruby.
He decided to sleep, there was nothing better to do than worry. The Serpent Dragon wouldn't let go of him, that would be foolish. He closed his eyes, and let other thoughts flood into him. He fell to sleep eventually, and reluctantly.
Dream just wanted to watch, he just wanted to see what was below. Suddenly there was a shout from one of the other two dragons.
"Let's take them for a dive eh?!" He shouted over.
"Yeah, that'll make 'em talk!" Said the one carrying Dream.
For some reason it didn't sound good.
He watched the other three dive quickly down wards, and he felt sick. He felt even sicker as the one carrying him did a vertical dive straight down.
The clouds and air rushed past him, and his stomach began to heave. He just about kept what he had last eaten down, but it didn't quite work as they nearly hit the ocean. As the Dragon began to pull up, the water below suddenly roared open, and the most huge sea monster appeared from the depths.
Its mouth was large and wide, and it had a long thick neck. Small paddles from its side, waved in the air. It snapped and tried to grab the dragon, which was like a fly to it. Dream could see down the monsters neck, blood and bones stuck everywhere. The creature splashed down, and dived like a whale.
It waved a mighty spiked tail about, trying to hit him. But the Serpent Dragon just laughed, and flew up.
As they went back up over the clouds, Dream just went over what had happened. He suddenly opened his mouth and was sick, some splashing on Ruby.
"Ugh!" Cried Ruby, trying to shake herself free of the smell.
The Serpent Dragon looked down, and smiled.
"The look a bit dirty! Let's take 'em down further!" He shouted to the others.
Stone had slept all through it, but he was soon going to wake up.
Dreams dragon hurled downwards, and instead of stopping at the water, he dived right into it. Ruby closed her eyes tight, and concentrated on saving air, while Dream kept his eyes open. Gigantic monsters thousands and thousands of times bigger than him, swam past, snapping and trying to grab them. Some were so frightening, I cannot describe to you, but others I can try. One was all furry, and had a beak. It had millions of legs sprouting from it, and a whippy spike tail. It looked terrible, and Dream nearly fainted.
Another was so long, its body disappeared into the blue. It had a long eel like head, and gigantic sharp teeth that were stained with blood. It had no legs, but a gigantic frill waved on its back. Its eyes were long and slanted, and red with the water rushing into them. Its long tongue had millions of little pincers of the end, which seemed to be alive themselves.
The sea was the deepest blue you could get, with shafts of light standing out like white on black. The monsters came together, all appearing and disappearing quickly. They made indescribable noises, wails and shrieks and growls.
He felt air touch his body again, and they were out.
He looked behind, and saw the other three dive in and come out again.
The one carrying Stone, stayed under a while longer.
Suddenly in a splash he came speeding out, a monster leaping after him.
"Ha ha! Come and get me!" He laughed.
Stone didn't find it so funny, and just screamed blue murder.
The monster grabbed and got his tail, and pulled him back under. The look on his face changed rapidly, and Dream just quickly thought of life without his friend.
"Noooo!" He shouted, trying to get free from his holder.
"Stop struggling, he'll come back up." Snapped the Serpent. "Hopefully."
Dream was up through the clouds, and still the dragon and Stone were not up yet.
"He's dead." Whispered Ruby softly, she grasped her necklace tightly.
She rubbed the two stones, one red and one black.
Suddenly through the clouds came a wet and bedraggled Serpent Dragon, carrying Stone as if he were a two ton weight.
"All right mate?" Asked Dreams carrier.
" A little shocked, this little blighter tried to swim away. Stupid bunch a bones." Sneered the other dragon.
Below them the clouds cleared, and all they could see was green. Leaves and trees were all they could make out, no spaces or clearings visible.
"Your gonna land in that?" Asked a very shocked Dream.
"Yup, only place we can really." Replied his carrier, as they descended into the forest.
"Hope you rip your wings." Sneered Ruby.
The Serpent Dragon growled at her, and she growled back.
He turned away, as they landed in the beautiful forest. Shafts of light drifted down, and animals scampered away. The rich green of the trees were stupendous, and the small streams were crystal clear.
It was so beautiful, hat you would have thought the Serpent Dragons would have wrecked it. But no, it was wonderful.
The Serpent smiled and announced,
"Welcome to Forest Island."

Dream was shocked, he didn't think that he would ever need to go to this place. He thought of it as a jungle full of dangerous creatures, but it was really a haven. Everything was balanced perfectly, it seemed to him this was what the whole world should be like.
"You might be staying here a long time." Said the Serpent, stretching his legs.
"Why?" Asked Stone.
"Because your traitors. You followed the cult of Kroth, that's not in our leaders good books." Said the Serpent, raising his spiky eye brows.
"We never followed his cult! He captured us!" Proclaimed Stone.
"Yeah well, our leader doesn't trust very many creatures. He's his own dragon." Shrugged the Serpent.
"So why doesn't he just kill us instead?" Asked Stone.
"We don't believe in killing things like Kroth does. We will punish them, but not painfully or in death. We sentence them." Said another Serpent.
"Sentence?" Asked Stone, he was quite puzzled at these Dragons different ways.
"Course, we sentence them to different things. Like staying for life on the island, or having to run constantly round it for a week. Those sort of things, humiliation and accommodation we call it." Said the Serpent, smiling stupidly. "I made that up. Even though the leader says he did."
Stone sighed, these creatures were dumber than the barbaric ones.
"So what kind of sentence will we get?" Asked Stone, hoping for the one that said, 'a slap on the wrists, and going to bed without any supper.' He could take that kind of thing.
"Dunno, depends what you've done. You were prowling around at night in Kroths territory, obviously we thought you were his spies." Said another Dragon.
Stone sighed and looked away, he knew amoebas that were smarter than this lot.
Dreams head wasn't with them, he was fascinated with the world that he had been brought into. It seemed heaven on Earth, it was like nothing he had seen before. He took a small sip from the stream, it tasted sweet and fresh. The aroma of flowers and sap and trees, just hung in the air. The others just seemed to treat it like a normal forest, Dream treated it like nothing he had ever experienced before. He ran quickly through the trees, letting them brush their leaves on his face. He looked and saw, the most glorious water-fall he couldn't have even imagined.. The gentle roar of water hitting water, the clear fresh water splashing everywhere sent his thoughts soaring. This was the kind of place, he wanted to live.
He ran back to the Serpents, breathless and amazed.
"You better not try that again kid." Growled one, and picked him up by his neck.
"I just went to look around...." He begged, his neck ached like anything.
"Yeah well, try not to." He snapped, and he put him down. Then, after three Serpents and grabbed the trio, and they were carried away.
There were many paths, all trodden a lot of times by these massive Dragons.
Their long tails dragged behind them, and their extra long necks brushed through the trees. Dream had no idea how they stopped their gigantic wings from being torn, they had to be huge and strong to carry them.
As they were pulled through nettles and bushes, they soon came to a cleared out area. Trees still loomed above them, but the ground had no nettles or bushes what so ever.
They four Dragons bowed their necks and heads, and gently put down Dream, Stone and Ruby in front of the most huge Serpent Dragon you could think of.
He wasn't as long or as impressive as Kroth, but boy was he huge and strong. Muscles rippled all over his body, and strength.
His eyes were wide, and his mouth tightly shut. Scissor-crossed teeth made him look fierce and dangerous. He was sat on a huge boulder, with carvings all around it. His long tail wrapped several times around it, and his neck cranned to stop his head from going over the top of the trees.
"What is their crime?" He asked, shifting slightly.
"We found them outside Kroths wood, we think they might be spies." Said one of them.
"Indeed. Now, who and what are you?" Asked the leader, prodding Dream with his spikey tail.
"I'm Dream, and I am a Plain Dragon. That is Stone, the same as me, and Ruby......" He paused, and looked at her.
"Is a rescued Serpent. She was to be sacrificed, but we rescued her. We hate Kroth, he nearly killed us." Continued Dream, hoping that her secret wasn't going to be found out.
"Well then, I may only suit you with one scentence then.." Said the leader, frowning deeply.
"Firstly, you have lied. About two things, I am not stupid you know." He growled. "You must be pretty hopeful if I am going to belive this shrimp is a Serpent Dragon. Her body is too short and her wings are too small, it is obvious she is True. Then you lied about rescuing her, how can rescue her if you yourself were going to be killed?"
Dream hung his head, he thought of all the things that could possibly happen to them.
"The scentence is life on this island, until the day you die. When you die, we will send you all back to your points of origin." He continued.
"That's not fair! You can't do that just for lying!" Screamed Stone, baring his teeth.
"I can now, you've threatened me. Also you are obviously his followers, you can't make up good lies just like that. He likes to send infants to their death too, now go and find yourselves places to live."
He commanded, as the trio just stood there, shocked.
"You can't do that, you can't." Mumbled Stone, he felt like he was going to break down and cry.
"Rules are harsh and so I am. Now GO!" The leader shouted, and the three ran into the forest, alone and frightened.

Dream had once thought he wanted to live here, but now he didn't. All he could wish for now, was not to be at Enemco. Not to be anywhere special like that, just to be home. For once, his adventurous side was gone. It was a nice place to look at for a while, and seemed like paradise. But to stay on this island, for his entire life, seemed too much.
It was his own fault, if he hadn't lied, it would have been better. He just wished like mad he hadn't. Stone glared at him, in hatred and disgust.
"It's your fault Dream! It wasn't my choice to lie to him! Now we're stuck here as well as you!
I hope we never see each other again!" He shouted at Dream, and ran away quickly.
Dream sighed, he couldn't dissagree. It was his fault, he thought of where they could be now and what he could be doing. They could be flying on their way to Enemco, through the sky. But no, they were trapped in Paradise.
He splashed his face in a pool, and looked at his reflection. He had lost wieght, his scales hung loosely and he suddenly felt thirst. He drank as much as he could, but no matter what he did to soothe his pains, the pain of being stranded was even more painful.
He decided to go and hunt, it was better than starving in agony.
As he trudged through the forest, he remembered that there was a sandy, tree-less part at the North East coast. But no, a dragon or two must have got it. Everyone said they battled to the death for it.....
Then again, they couldn't. If they were a group who didn't believe in that sort of thing. He ran, he ran as fast as he could. He stung himself, but he didn't care. He shook hunger off as he brushed past trees and bushes.
He stopped and gasped, he would never run from one side of the island to the other in a matter of minutes. It would take weeks, he gave up, and decided to eat.
He hid in the bushes, he wasn't very skilled at hunting though. All he knew was to hide, and try not to cast a shadow. He moved, and his shadow dissapeared under a trees shadow.
He waited, and waited, and waited. Nothing came by, he was in the wrong place. There were no paths or anything, maybe no dragon had even been here before. He got up, and as soon as he did, a deer that was about to pass, sprinted quickly away.
He sighed, maybe fish would be easier.
He walked slowly on his way, back to where he had seen the glorious water fall.
That would be his home, he would make a home by the water fall.
As he walked, he thought of Ruby. How would she cope all alone? Her wings would rip!
He suddenly started running again, and just as suddenly as he had started, he tripped.
He heard a faint squeak, and he got quickly to his feet.
There below him, was a tired and agrivated Ruby.
"You left me!" She screamed. "You left me all alone!"
She grabbed his leg, and hugged it tightly with her wings.
"It tried to kill me, but I hid! You could have stopped it! It was horrible!" She was screaming blue murder now, Dream just plugged his ear holes.
"Look, whatever it was, it's gone. Now get up and come with me." Said Dream, and took Ruby into his arms.
As he carried her along, she kept mumbling about something, then she mumbled a song.
She kept on mumbling annoyingly, until Dream got to where he wanted to be.
Some sort of built in instinct had guided him, he just knew which direction to take. To get back to the waterful place of course.
He tended her grazes, splashing water on her with a bowl-like leaf.
Soon he went over her wings, he knew they were tender, and could easily rip under his claws. He gently pulled them out, and brushed over them with the leaf.
Then he noticed something, a small green patch on her wing. He thought it was moss, and tried to dust it off. It wouldn't budge, he got his claw, and soon realised what it was.
A hole.
It was minute, but it would affect her flying. It would heal if he left it alone, so he looked around for something to put over it. He looked for something sticky, while Ruby had fallen to sleep. He grabbed a couple of stick plants, and stuck some leaves to them. He stuck them on her wing, and picked her up.
The massive waterfall was glinting with the sun shinning off it, and Dream went closer and closer to it.
He went round the edge, and saw a small opening behind it.
Dream spread his wings, and with a tremble of fear in him, glidded behind the water fall and into the cave.
He landed on the slippery rock, and put Ruby gently down on the floor.He walked around in the darkness, and saw a number of caverns and openings.His claws clicked on the floor, sending an echo out through the cave.As he pushed his head through a tunnel, rats and mice scattered out, screeching and squeaking.It was perfect, it he put some leaves and stuff around. It would be cosy and home like.He jumped out, and ran along to collect everything he needed.Leaves, dirt, moss, feathers, all things he picked up.He covered the main floor, and bedded all the rooms but one. He would leave that one for food storage.He felt quite at home when he had finished, but he felt kind of un-safe in the open passage ways.He set out again, and collected four rocks to bar off the rooms. He had two separate rooms for him and Ruby, and another spare one, and one for food. He had worked hard all day, and set him and Ruby up to sleep.
Dream looked around his home, it would suit him well. He had plenty of water, and creatures would come to drink here. So he and Ruby were well off, so he pciked up the sleeping Ruby, and put her in her room. He left the rock a little bit open, so she could run out if she needed to.
He left his open as well, so she could get in.
He slept well, covering himself with a leaf he found lying on the ground. It was certainly big, and kept him cosy in the cave.
He thought maybe, that he would enjoy living here a little bit.
But the sentence rung in his head like a bell.
Life on the island.
All his Life.
All their lives.

Dream woke up, he was surprised that Ruby wasn't with him. He was warm and comfortable, he didn't want to get up. But hunger was his main concern, she would be weak. He would soon be as well, they needed meat. Now.
He lifted himself up, and went into Rubys chamber.
She was awake, her eyes wide and frightened. She rocked gently, and a small voice trembled out the words, "Who's there?"
She was quiet, and it seemed to Dream that she was petrified.
He said in a quiet voice, "It's Dream, your safe, this will be our home."
She blinked, and moved forwards.
"I don't like being alone. You left me again Dream. You left me." She trembled.
"You were alone when your mother took care of you." Said Dream.
"I wasn't any different. I didn't like being locked away." She jibbered, she suddenly ran up to Dream and clung with her wings.
He carried her just outside on the ground by the waterfall, and put her down on the ground.
"Why have you got a problem with being alone? Why?!" He asked desperately.
"Because, I don't." She sneered.
"Why though? What's your problem?" Dream was talking in a velvety voice now, he didn't want to scare her.
"They nearly got me, and I was alone." Said Ruby quietly.
"Who nearly got you?" Asked Dream, getting closer to her so he could hear.
"They did, they didn't have names. They were just frightening, they wanted to kill me. They wanted to kill all of us, they were too big though. But one scratched me, they made fun of me." Said Ruby, hanging her head.
Something started pulling at his brain, he knew what these creatures were.
He knew they had names, but True Dragons just referred to them as they. They scared the wits out of True Dragons, they were so terrifying to them. He tried to think of their names, he knew what they looked like. They owned Liento, the desert lands at the South of Enemco. Suddenly he knew them.
"Griffins." He said.
"Shut up!" She screamed, and clawed at him.
He felt blood rush from his leg.
Ruby was covering herself with her wings, her body was shaking heavily.
He knew that some adult Trues had died of fear when the creatures names were mentioned. "Why haven't you been scared of their name before, I might have said it. I can't remember." Said Dream, his mind was all a blur.
Ruby just kept trembling, and whispered, "You don't know what it's like. You have no idea."
"I know I don't, but why are you so afraid of them now?" Asked Dream..
"Because we're closer to them, they come here sometimes. My mother's gone." She whispered. "She's gone, but I'm here. I'm taking care of you, until we get to Enemco." Said Dream, and he remembered the sentence.
"But we're stuck here, we can't fly to anywhere. It's too far." She cried, she flopped onto her back.
She sighed, and looked up into the sky. Birds flew past, free and free to go anywhere.
"We'll go some day, I promise you." Said Dream. He was uncertain of saying it before, but now he was sure he was going to do it. He had promised after all.
"How?" She asked, sitting up.
"We will." He said, and picked her up.
"Now go find a place to hide, I'm going to hunt." Said Dream, and went and hid in a bush by the lake river.
As fifteen minutes went by, his luck came. The waiting and being quiet had paid off.
One lone deer was there, drinking with its back to him by the river. Its ears were laid back, it had obviously began to trust the place.
Dream suddenly remembered what food tasted like, and leaped at the deer. He dug his claws deep into the animals back, and blood ran down it. It shrieked and bucked and kicked, but Dream held on. He dragged it down, as it struggled and cried out. Dream climbed up its back, and bit its neck like a lion.
The deer fell to the ground, slashes and blood sprayed all over it. He let go, knowing the deer couldn't get up again now. He watched it struggle, the blood leaking from it. It seemed cruel to let it bleed, so he quickly broke its neck. The misery of the beast was over.
He felt guilty in a way, he had killed something that had done no harm to himself. But then again, its either kill or be killed.
He began to eat, and called Ruby down.
She took to chewing like a fish to water, and was guzzling down the food pronto.
Dream had finished pretty soon, and licked the blood and scraps off the ribs. This might just be better than I thought it would be. He thought, lying on his back under the shade of the trees.
Ruby of course didn't have a very big stomach, and needed to take a break after a while.
"Do we have to eat all of it?" She asked, she felt as if she was going to explode.
"Not at all, I've left some storage rooms. Put the rest in there." Said Dream, and Ruby nodded. She grabbed the remains with her wing claws, and took it to the top of the water fall and stopped.
"You have to be kidding if I'm jumping that!" She exclaimed.
Dream sighed, he really wanted to rest. He wanted to sleep and day dream about living in Enemco.
Reluctantly he got up, and jogged up to Ruby.
He slung the carcass over his shoulder, and glided easily over to the cave.
The gentle dripping of the water could drive you mad if you heard it for too long, but Dream only took quick visits to the main entrance. He threw the remains in the smaller store room, and then blocked it up with the stone. He ran back to the entrance, the roar of the water fall ringing in his ears as well as the dripping. He flew out again, and landed by Ruby.
"Why are you storing it?" Asked Ruby, a little curious.
"So if there's a famine, we haven't wasted it." Replied Dream, Ruby nodded.
"What shall we do now? It's a bit boring round here." Ruby said, turning and looking into the jungle.
"Sleep or swim. That's all we really can do, we mustn't go too far too quickly. Just discover and get to know well a little more each day." Said Dream, and ran down to the pool. He leaped in, escaping from the hot humid air.
The water swirled and rushed around him, weeds brushing gently against his scales. Ruby stood by the water, watching him enjoy himself.
She was scared, she had heard and seen water. She quickly sipped from it, but never dared to enter it.
Ruby respected it in a sense, to her water was like food. It was in a way to her. You don't go swimming in deer or cattle, so why in water? She would always think to herself when she saw others doing it.
Also, because she was scared. Water held so many dangers, and with her weak body she could easily drown. The again, water was supposed to clean and refresh you.
Ruby put her foot in the shallow water, and felt a sudden coolness shiver up herself.She put her other foot in, and soon she was wading into the water.
"Come on Ruby!" Called Dream, who was splashing and enjoying himself.
Ruby swam to him like a manta ray, and he lifted her onto his back.
They dived underwater, and explored the bottom. They snatched at the fish, even though they were full. It was heaven for them, they were together and had found somewhere perfect to live. Poor Stone, he wasn't so fortunate.

Running, in fear and pain. Nettles and sharp twigs scratching and stinging him, branches smacked his face as he pushed past them. Tears ran from his eyes, escaping his thoughts.
He was alone, he was frightened. Death slowly and painfully was the only thought in his mind, all the others had been pushed out quickly by it.
Stone tripped into a muddy puddle, his breath swiped from him. He picked himself off, and wiped off the mud. He started running again, he wanted to reach the coast line. He wanted to fly away, he was going back home to his mother and father. They were going to come and rescue the others, and kill the beastly Serpent Dragons. Hopefully.
That was his plan, the first step getting to the coast.
But the forest seemed to go on forever, he always knew them as having an end. This one didn't, it turned and spun so he got lost and circled back on himself. The quicker he ran, the more he circled.
His breath ran out quickly, and he collapsed on the forest floor. The crack of twigs and rustle of leaves sent birds flying from their trees.
Stone cried, he wanted to live, but he knew he wouldn't.
He would starve and die of thirst, animals would eat him while he was still alive. It would be a nasty end for him, he would feel his body ripped to shreads, pain and agony.
He sniffed, and blood trickled from out of his nose. He didn't know if he had torn his wings, but if he had, it was no doubt he was never to escape. Torn wings mean no flying.
Stone shouted, he shouted something he didn't know the meaning of. It just came to him, the name was just sitting in his mind like a rock.
"Crund!" He shouted, and again. The word hurt him until he shouted it, so he just kept on shouting. Something magic no doubt. The Serpents must have powers, or they wouldn't be able to do this to me. He thought, and his calls got him a reply.
The stabbing pain in his head stopped hurting, and he heard footsteps approach him.
Lower branches of the trees were broken, and a head poked through them.
The look on the dragons face was smiling, and he spoke.
"There you are." He said, and bent down to Stone.
"Who are you?" Mumbled Stone, drowsy and tired.
"Well, you called my name. That means you know me." Said the dragon, helping Stone up to his feet.
"You put it in my mind, I thought Serpents had no powers." Said Stone, looking the dragon up and down.
"Yeah well, it isn't a power. I didn't do it, the wind did. This island has magic winds, they can carry messages." Said the Serpent.
"Why did you want me?" Asked Stone.
"You need me, you've discarded your friend. Who I know from the birds is doing dandy, has a great place going. You're not doing so well, thought you needed a guide." Said the dragon.
"Well I don't, I can survive. I'll find Ruby...." Stone said, he needed company he knew.
"Your friend's got her, she's getting on well too." Said the dragon.
Stone sighed and hung his head.
"Great. So I can see no-one I know. This is going great." Stone sighed.
"You don't have to stay away from them, you can go apologise." Said the dragon logically.
"No way! I'm not going back to the blood-sucking trator." Sneered Stone.
"Well then, you've got me. My names Crund, I'll get you involved in the local fights. Get you some territory." Smiled Crund.
"Great. I'll die quickly." Said Stone under his breath.
"What?" Asked Crund.
"Nothing." Sighed Stone. He didn't think he had a great out look with Crund.
"So what are these local fights?" Asked Stone, he wasn't too sure about them.
"Well, you find someone your age, hieght and strength, and you fight them for their land. Sometimes to the death, usually it isn't. Just to a knock-out, as long as you don't get put against Trebro." Explained Crund.
"Oh. Right. Brilliant." Said Stone sarcastically.
"Glad you think so." Smiled Crund stupidly. "I'll go get you a place to live."
Stone was dragged into the thick forest by Crund, who didn't stop talking until they got to the place.
Stone wished he had died, instead of being treated like an infant by this stupid Serpent.
"Why would I want to live there?" Asked Stone, looking at the dirty small cave. It had a stream running by it, that looked yellowish gold.
"Because it's the only place I can let you have." Said Crund.
"Well I'm not living there. I'll call you when I find somewhere else." Snapped Stone.
He ran off into the woods, wishing he would have hit Crund in the nose first. Stone wiped the dripping blood from his nose, and kept going straight ahead. Crund stood by the cave, looking at the path Stone had taken.
"Stupid Plain Dragon. Better off here." He sighed, and walked in the opposite direction.
Stone ran, he ran steady though. Almost at a jog, he was really loping. As the forest became thinner, he noticed a sound ahead of him.
He crawled quietly towards it, and looked through the bushes. There in front of him, was a dirt circle. In the middle of the circle, there were two dragons standing opposite each other. They growled and slashed their teeth at each other, hatred flaring in their eyes.
Around the edge, quite far from the edge, stood five dragons.
"Go on then!" Shouted one of them.
Suddenly the two dragons leapt at each other, and slashed and clawed. They bit ruthlessly, tearing at each others flesh. Blood splatted all over the dirt circle, mixing like a dark brown mud. The two fell to the ground, wacking each other with their tales. It was gruesome, Stone didn't know if he could watch them rip each other apart any more.
One of them ripped at the others eyes, and scratch marks were left over them.
The blood fell more often, and soon they were splashing in blood.
Their bodies, if anything was left at all, were so slashed at and bleeding, Stone didn't expect either of them to survive.
After a while, there was an all mighty deafning roar. A thud rocked the forest, and one fell to the ground.
Across its chest, there was a slash, and arteries leaking everywhere.
The other Serpent, was standing tall, and holding the others heart.
He put it to his mouth, and swallowed it whole. Stone watched with a heave in his stomach, as the heart slithered its way down the snaky neck of the Serpent Dragon. He himself was badly injured, but his wings were untouched. The others wings were torn, and his body was more deeply cut than the others.
Stone froze, the dragon seemed to be looking at him.
Their eyes were fixed, and they looked deep into each other.
This beast, this war-lord, this maniac, was a she.
The champion stirred, and walked over to the bush where Stone was hiding. She reached down, and grabbed him in her claw. Stone was too frightened to move or say anything, she would surely rip him to pieces.
He trembled so hard that he made her claw shake.
"Why are you here?" She demanded, her bloody jaws shaking droplets of blood off.
Stone stayed silent, and shivered.
She sighed and looked away for a moment.
"If you do not answer, you will end up like that dragon lying on the floor." She said sternly, pointing to him with a cut finger.
"I was.....going somewhere......I heard you.....and went to see...." Trembled Stone nervously.
"Very well then. Go somewhere." She said, and put him down.
Stone ran again, this time quickly and swiftly. This time he ran because he was told to, not because he was just frightened. He stumbled across the river, and fell into the clean fresh water. It tasted good, and he drank. Stone got up, and looked around him. It was a fairly quiet place, there was a hole in the ground. He sniffed down it, it smelt empty. It smelt warm and comfortable, carefully with his wings folded, he crawled down it. It got thinner for a while, and he struggled to get through.
Well at least the Serpents won't get down. He thought to himself, and the tunnel windened.
Suddenly he started falling, but he landed quickly. The whole place was lit by the light from the tunnel, you could see the age old dust floating by in it.
Bones of small animals that hadn't escaped laid everywhere. A fox with the bones of a pigeon lay by the foot of the tunnel. Obviously he had chased it down there, and not been able to get out. Stone made sure he could get out, of course he could. He was tired, and hungry. He scooped up a rat and gobbled it down, it wasn't much but it filled a gap.
Stone made a makeshift sleeping place, and went quickly to sleep. He dreampt of nothingness, just blackness dominating. But there was one feature, a golden light, just shinning out amongst the black. It was all that was there, until he woke up that is.

Dream and Ruby had been asleep a long time, comfy and safe in their chambers. They had no idea, that after the years of them living there, something was going to happen. To everyone.

You could have filled novels upon novels of the things that happened to them during their long five years on Forest Island. Many incidents were to remember and cherish, others were to forget and look with anger upon. If I told you one of things that happened to them, it would fill a chapter certainly.
Each day was filled with something new, something to learn and something to kill. Their flight inhanced wonderfully, Dream started flying longer and quicker around the island. He always took Ruby with him, she hated being alone for any time over fifteen minutes. She loved to watch the world race by, she loved being higher than everybody else but her carrier. Ruby began to leap in the air and float down on her wings, the small hole had healed and only a small scar was left. Dream had grown, he was now a strong young dragon. Good at heart and wise in mind, he muscels rippled and other small things had grown. The two stubs of horns he had while he was young, had grown quickly into massive spiral horns, gently curling backwards. The spikes on the end of his tail were now sharp and long. His wings were something to be marvelled at, a brilliant gold mixed with other colours. His long strong jaws were slender and powerful, his teeth sharp and perfectly shaped. His claws were curved and the suns light reflected off them, as he always cleaned the blood off them to take away a threatning appearence. His tail was long and strong, he could swipe down a tree with two blows. One to weaken the roots, the other to smash it down. He could squeeze things to death with it, like a python. His eye sight, hearing, smell and sense of touch had evolved rapidly. All his senses were extremely good, making him aware of everything that went on.
He had to expand his chamber, because no longer was he a child, he was a young dragon. Now Ruby, she had grown just as well. Her milky white body was slender and beautiful, her large wings with the fragile yet strong membranes. Her long slender jaws, capable of crushing bones. Her long hind legs were long and powerful, easily picking up and using objects like fore-limbs which she lacked. Along her back ran spines that made no sound as she walked or flew, she was a silent ghost.
Her eyes stayed red and large, curious to the world. She grew small horns, which were blunt and had no real purpose but for show. Now she would master her powers, control and use them for other things.
She discovered she could control the mind of anything, anything she desired to control. If it had a mind that was. She made deers and prey come to her, and made them lie down and let her kill them. But she practised the natural way, with some persuasion from Dream who said it would be useful to her.
Ruby flew with grace and dignity, she was no longer a small helpless infant with no control over her body. She was a female True Dragon, with powers that could dominate and kill. She never used her mind control to convince animals to kill themselves. That would be murder or the mind, she preferred to kill by using her claws and teeth.
They were living well, but they did have plenty of natsy incidents. Once there was a famine, and their food and water supply did them well. Many animals came to try and steel their food, but locked away safely they survived. They had become skinny and weak, but not to point of death. They ate and drank enough the move and be able to keep breathing and blood flowing through them.
They made no plans to escape, it was their home now. But something that happened, something that appeared out of no where told them they had to go.

Stone hadn't had such a happy life though, living by himself had restricted his vacabulary. His speech had gotten worse, talking to nothing made it no better. Many dragons wanted his cave, and he had to fight them for it. All he had killed brutally, smashing them to pieces. Ripping out their eyes and delving deep into their guts. Pain was how to win, over come them with pain. Stones body had become even more built up, until his old name had been altered. He was no longer the pessimistic smooth Stone, he was rough and hard. Ready to take on any challenge. He was known as Rocks.
He had grown slowly though, making life hard for him. But he was well developed, his four legs were strong and could knock any dragon off his feet. His tail was thick and strong, breaking bones and winding creatures. His jaws were much stronger than Dreams, they were not slender and neat.
His teeth were blood stained and strong, the same for his once small claws. His body rippled with power that you wished you owned, and his senses were sharp. He hunted anything, and in the famine which Dream and Ruby passed by, Stone had gone desperate. He had no powers or special tactics to find his prey, so he had to go for his last resort. He would eat other dragons. He caught the writhering serpants, and slit their throats. After they were still and too in pain for movement, he began to eat their thin bodies. They were awake and felt every bite and scratch. His part of the woods was known as the screaming woods, as he still ate other dragons when he felt like it.
He had seen Crund again, and hated him. But he didn't kill him, as Crund was bigger now and seemed a match for him. Stone had discarded him, and not made any comments. Saying he was too weak would work up a fight. Stones life had been hard, avoiding Crund and fighting for his life and territoy.
He had not seen other dragons, unless in battle. So Stone, had a very depressing and blood-thirsty life on the island.
He soon heard the news, and knew Dream would have too. He thought for many days, putting off battles he wanted to fight and win. He was deep in thought, very deep.

The day was dull, and mists loomed on Forest Island. The birds cawed loudly, something was stirring in the world. Animals kept low to the ground, and dragons tried not to make any plans for the day.
They didn't know why, it seemed that today would be different. Mists were normal, but they way everything seemed quiet and expecting, strange and scary. Dream looked out from behind the waterfall, no deers were visiting the pool today. Usually that day they did, but today they seemed to keep to the trees. Ruby was scared, she had been shivering and jibbering for hours since the morning.
Her whole body was twitching, and her eyes seemed to stare into a tottaly different world. She wrapped her wings around herself, so Dream asumed she was cold. But it was humid, even in the damp cave. He knew something else must be wrong.
He tried talking to her, but that just paranoid her. She would suddenly become violent and wack herself against the wall, she was pertofied beyond beliefe of something yet to come.
Dream was very worried, he hadn't left her side since she started early in the morning. All he could do was stay with her, keeping the very tips of their tails touching.
He felt coldness shiver up himself as he watched her eyes stare. They hadn't blinked once, they were dry and itchy he imagened. But she seemed not to notice, nothing mattered to her. He could have left her and gone hunting, he had left her once for ten minutes. When he came back, she had gone into a fit.
As he watched her get sicker and shudder harder, Dream began to thought she had caught a lethal paranoia disease. He thought it best to keep away from her, to stop it spreading. He saw no sickness in her eyes though, and if he left her than if she died he would feel guilty for the rest of his life.
He licked his dry and worried lips, with his long slender tongue. It too was dry, and did no good.
"Ruby, listen." He whispered, she didn't stop.
"Please Ruby, it's only me. We're safe from anything, why are you shuddering?" He asked, keeping his patience.
He felt like grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her like mad, but he knew that would probably kill her. He touched her wing tip, and her wings suddenly spread out. She got up, and barged her way out of her massive chamber.
She flew straight through the thundering waterfall, and out into the mist.
Dream flew after her, but she had the advantage. She her less wind resistance, having no fore-limbs was an advantage in flight. Her small blunt horns didn't catch the wind, and as she flew faster she became colder. Dream struggled to keep up, his decorations catching the wind. What's she doing now? Was the only thought that ploughed his mind, suddenly he decided to whip in front of her. He flew over her head and flew in front of her. He stopped and hovered in mid air, and with a crash she ran into and over him. She flew on, leaving Dream struggling to stay aloft.
Once again her flew after her, and grabbed her tail with her sharp claws.
"We must go back! We're vulnerable out here!" Cried Dream. He thought for a while. "Especially to Griffins!"
Ruby stopped, and hovered in mid air. She turned her head, her eyes wide. She blinked.
Suddenly she rushed past him, diving towards their home. He followed her, hoping he hadn't made her too frightened as to set her into fits. He watched her from a distance, splashing down in the cool water. Dream flew after her, and landed by the pool. She jumped out, and looked at him.
"I've read a mind." She said, her mood changed suddenly from stupid to graceful.
Dream just stood, looking at her for a minute.
"Why, since the morning, have you been shuddering like you had some sort of disease?!" Shouted Dream at her, angry and annoyed.
"You haven't read those creatures minds have you? You haven't tried to change them and alter them, have you? I wouldn't be surprised if I was shuddering at those evil and wicked creatures thoughts." Growled Ruby.
"What creatures?" Asked Dream.
"You know what I mean!!" She screamed at him, snarling.
Dream stood back, younger than him so she was, but only in the body. In her mind she was decades older.
"How did you reach into these creatures minds?" Asked Dream, still puzzled at what she meant. He had forgotten the ways of the True Dragons. Mostly anyway.
"In my sleep, I reached out my minds claw into the distance. I passed over minds I wanted to touch, but my minds claw had its own thoughts." Ruby paused. "I passed into a desert, and into a canyon that reeked of blood and death. The claw reached into one of their minds, and made me read and try to alter it. I couldn't get away, it was forcing me. In the beginning I pushed it, then it pulled me along like a tool."
Ruby stared at Dream, and she closed her eyes.
"I didn't want to see the things I saw, some things I wish I hadn't. They'll stay in my mind for ever, until I see something else worse. Which I don't know or can imagine." She breathed.
"Then how come you felt me touch you? How could you fly in your mind reading?" Asked Dream, fascinated by her extrarodinary powers.
"No it's not extraordinary, all dragons have the power to. As you know my mother did." Snapped Ruby.
"Sorry, reading again." She sighed. "I don't know what I did, all I could think of was the mind I was reaching into."
Dream nodded at her, he knew she couldn't help being nosey and poking around minds. As she had found out in her dream, some things she didn't want to know at all.
Suddenly with a crash of twigs something smashed through the trees and tumbled in a heap on the ground. It was a mess of wings, a tail and a long neck. The dust from the ground fell, to show a young Serpent Dragon picking himself up.
"Sorry, I can't practise much now. My mother wants to keep me in." Apologised the young Serpent.
They looked at him expectantly.
"Right, I'm bringing news. There's going to be a massive war. Between the three dragon breeds, very serious." Said the Serpent.
"What?! Why?" Gasped Dream, bending over and pricking up his ears.
"I dunno, that's why we're keeping out of it. We're not proper Serpent Dragons according to the rest, because we don't follow the cult of Kroth. They say we're out casts, said we should keep our noses out of other dragons buisness." Shrugged the young Serpent.
"Well if you're a news bringer, I don't see why you should be. You're no use if you don't know anything." Sighed Dream, and lifted the youngster off the ground.
"Might as well be rid of you...." Mumbled Dream. He dangled the Serpent over his mouth. Rows of sharp teeth and a dark gullet was about to await him.
"Wait! I know a little!" Cried the Serpent.
Dream closed his jaws and smiled, he put the youngster on the ground.
The Serpent dusted himself off, and sat down on a rock.
"I heard, that the Plain Dragons, are calling the Serpents sacrifice thieves. Because two of their youngsters were missing, and they knew recently by some source that the Serpents had tried to sacrifice some." Said the youngster. Ruby and Dream looked at each other.
The Serpent was worried by the massive beasts, because they weren't of his breed, and seemed hungry.
"Go on." Urged Dream.
"Well, then the Serpents found out the True Dragons had been harvesting magic inside on of their mountains. The Serpents told the Plain Dragons that it was to use in a war against the other two breeds.
The True Dragons got angry, and told the Serpent Dragons to mind their own buisness. Then of course we naturally were worried, because the True Dragons were hiding something. So some stupid one went and thought he was doing good, telling the Plain Dragons that they actually used it to transport dragons from somewhere to them, to use as slaves and to build up their armies for a war!
So, basically, they all deicded to gang up on each other for many reasons and have a massive war!"
The youngster took a deep breath, and looked at the worried two dragons.
"You're not telling this to get us angry are you?" Asked Dream, picking up the Serpent by his tail. "No of course not! The Leader told me to tell you!" Screamed the Serpent, as once again he was in threat of being food.
"Good, because if you were, let's say, winding me up. Then I'd be rather angry." Growled Dream, and pushed the Serpent away.
The youngster took off, and smacked straight into a tree. He got up dazed, and deicded to walk. "All because of us." Sniffed Ruby, she felt so guilty inside her. "Then they will take the opportunity and catch them all at their weakest point. It's all going to end horribly."
"Unless we do something. Unless we get off this floating prison." Growled Dream, and spread his wings.
"Nut we can't do it with two. We need three." Said Dream, crouching down to take off.
"Who's the third? We don't know anybody else really." Puzzled Ruby, leaping into the air.
"Stone." Breathed Dream, and flew into the air.

Stone was lying on his back, he had been told earlier. His wings were spread out, and blended into the rocky gray floor. He thumped his tail gently against the ground, and killed a mouse.
He was deep in thought, his mind puzzling over what the news bringer had told him. He had beat plenty of information out of him. Not too hard though, his body was fragile.
He thought, for once in five years, of his past friend. His name he had forgotten, but their friendship he had not. In their younger years, they had been the best of friends to each other. He remembered the days when he was always thinking, always doing things. He was surprised at how his personality had changed over the years, it was strange. Once, he had been a friendly yet looking-on-the-dark-side sort of Dragon. Now, he was a brutal and harsh fighter. He had never forgotten his last words to Dream, which he deeply regretted saying. "I hope we never see each other again!"
They were words that had come true, and now he wished they hadn't. But here was one of the most strongest and most feared dragon on the island, thinking about a friend. He pushed aside Dream, and then thought of something else. No other dragon could look into his thoughts, so why he was thinking about ruining his image he didn't quite know.
He rolled onto his belly, and folded his wings back. He rapped his blood-stained claws on the ground, as they echoed about the cave.
He saw a face look round the cave entrance, it was a slender and beautiful face he knew well. It was Tainya, she gracefully walked into the darkness. Her beautiful long body hipnotized Stone, as she wandered towards him. She was a different breed, but a beautiful one at that. She nudged him gently, and he nodded at her.
Tainya spread her butterfly wings, which were pattented with purple, green, red and yellow in dyed like rings. She let the air cool them, and her body. Her eyes were slim and a delicate sky blue, it looked as if you could break them with a flick of the claw.
Her long purple webbed ears were laid back, as she was not very interested in anything at the moment.
The spines that ran along her back rattled as she moved, and she curled up beside Stone. She rested her head on his claws, a sign that she would only rest on him. A sign, that meant he would let her only rest on his claws, and be protected by him.
It was a very common thing a female would do to a male, but to Stone it wasn't. They hardly ever got any peace, with challenges and fights.
He expected what she was about to say.
"There are nine dragons all calling for you outside. They aren't pleased, and their calling you names." Explained Tainya, raising her head.
Stone growled, and got up.
He had left the battles for some time, and they had made themselves more stronger each day. They hadn't seen him, and expected him to be weak or ill.
They had plans for him if he did.
"We'll tear him to pieces when he comes out, thrash 'im we will!" Laughed one, baring his teeth.
"Yeah! Time old Rocks got beaten up too!" Enticipated another one.
They were all excited, at killing Stone.
A shadow emerged from the cave, at first sight anyone would have thought he was dying. The biggest one wanted him dead quickly, and didn't care what he looked like out of darkness. "Get 'im!" He called, and they all lunged at the shape.
An all mighty roar rumbled out, and the dragons were smashed to the ground, and out of the cave came Stone. A few cuts were on him, but the slashes and blood curdling injuries were on the others.
"Anyone else stupid here?!" He roared, snarling and spreading his wings out to look impressive. After the others had run away, two more dragons landed. One was gold, and one was white with red eyes.
"Hello Stone." Said the golden one, and smiled.
"No! You're not!" Gasped Stone, standing back.
"I am, and I've heard about you. Changed your name slightly." Said Dream, and stepped closer to Stone.
"You've changed, your worse. I liked you as you were actually." Dream continued, examining Stones muscley body.
"Tuff luck then, I like the way I am. I don't need you." Growled Stone.
"Oh, then I guess you like where you live, how you live, and who aren't your friends." Sneered Dream.
"I'm his friend." Said a voice, and Tainya stepped out.
She stood up tall, and then sat on her haunches.
"I'm more than that actually." She continued.
"This is Tainya, Tainya, my old friends Ruby and.....and...." Stone was stuck, the name ringed in his head but couldn't get out on his tongue.
"Dream." Said Dream.
"Yeah, Dream." Nodded Stone.
"You've gotten stupider too. Through your strength and dominance, you've gotten stupid." Sighed Dream.
"Is that a challenge?!" Roared Stone, striking Dream down to the ground.
Ruby rushed to his side, and spread her wing over him.
"Leave him alone! I knew we couldn't trust you!" She screamed, anger and sadness inside her.deep inside, knew that he shoudln't have done it. But on the outside, he looked smug.
"Your not a dragon, who used to be a friend! Your a beast! An evil thing that has no description suitable!" Screamed Ruby.
Stone sighed, and growled at Ruby. He slapped her face, and snarled.
She kept her face away for a minute, then turned to him. The look on her face was of tottal and utter furiousity.
But she kept calm.
"Mere Phisycal things do not affect my actions. But they do affect my heart, I will remember that you struck me. No matter what. I will repeat it." She said to him.
Stone feared her for a few minutes, he remembered she was a True Dragon. Her magic was more powerful then his brute force.
The word sorry was brought to his mind, then dissapeared again.
"I will accept an apology." She hinted, and Stone thumped his tail.
"I said I will accept an apology!" She roared, and blue flashes flamed out of her eyes. Suddenly a shatter of ice came from her mouth, and froze around Stones body.
She was amazed, the power of frozen water was hers to control. Ruby stood back, aghast at her power. Stones face was of shock and horror, an expression she had never experienced.
Tainya was horrified, the one she obeiyed and loved so dearly was locked in an ice block. Through tears she stepped forward, and touched the ice with her wing claw. A sudden spark of blew flew off, as the real world touched the world of magic material.
"What have you done to him?!" Cried Tainya, and fell to her knees.
Ruby paused and thought, and watched the Serpent crying on the ground. She wiped her tears with her wings, but they kept flowing. Ruby had to be honest.
"I, I don't know." She sighed.
Tainya looked up at her, the flow of tears had stopped. Curiousity was the only look on her face. "You don't know?" Tainya questioned.
"Well, I never knew I had these powers." Ruby explained, and put her wing on the ice block. As she touched it, her wing began to push through it. It was like pushing through a thick liquid, it needed effort but could be done.
Ruby grabbed Stone, and pulled at him. She felt the cold icy feeling creep over her body, it wasn't because she was cold, it was the magic. The ice was trying to take over her body, it was retaliating on its maker. She would have to act quickly, or she too would be frozen. She was the only True one there, so no other dragon could pull her out. She gave a tug, and suddenly Stone fell out from the ice.
The ice block melted, as it had no other purpose. It sparkled and glimmered, as the ground sucked it in.
Stone lay on the ground, his body cold and blue. Dream looked at Ruby, in her eyes were worry and the need to know more. Even though she was a True Dragon, even though she posessed the magic and powers of her breed, she was still a child. She still had more to learn.
She trembled slightly, some of the magic had seeped into her, powering her cold ice powers. Ruby felt a fizz in her eyes, a crackling sort of fizz. Her body wanted to let out her feelings, in blasts of power. But she had to control them, many a True Dragon had gone mad letting lose their powers.
They thought they could in-slave the world, and be ruler of it all. They had frozen or burnt the land, until their magic powers had weakened from non-stop flaming or freezing. They didn't notice, and soon the magic was feeding itself on their own bodies. It ended up horribly for the Dragon, he wasted away, even though he ate plenty. The magic became vicious, and he wouldn't be able to control it.
The Dragon would go even madder, and died in their in-sainity.
Ruby didn't want to be one of them, and keep them locked up for some other time.
Tainya had wrapped her wings around him, and his body began to take the shade of gray it had always been. His eyes opened slightly, but his ears were laid flat back.
He rolled onto his belly, and stumbled onto four legs. He weakly stood on them, his claws gripping onto the ground.
"You, are dangerous. But I will travel with the both of you. Dream is my friend, and you may be his. But I am no friend of the True Dragons anymore. I do not wish to live or see them, I wish to go home." Stone enquired, licking his frozen lips now and again.
"I understand, and I agree. Our experdition to Enemco is posponed, we need to help at our home. We will need someone to take Ruby to her homeland though, she most help her own kind." Agreed Dream.
Ruby looked deep into Dreams eyes, she did not love him, that was not the case. She just cared for him, she wanted to be with him. He was someone to comfort her and protect her, she felt he was close to her. She did not want to help her breed destroy him and his family, but he wanted her to go home.
"I can fly by myself, I know which way to my homeland." She told them.
"Very well, go now." Nodded Dream.
Ruby stood there, her beautiful young body like a ghost in the mist.
She stretched out her wing, and touched his. Her wing claws grasped his one single claw, and then she released it. She turned round, and spread her wings. She flew up and away, away from the island and away from Dream. She did not care for the others, just Dream.
She stopped in mid flight, and turned round. She saw a gold speck, shinning out in the distance. He could see her, and she could see him. She called, and he called back. The bond was strong and hard to break, and now they had broken it. It was painful and distressing, but it was for the better. She flew farther away, until she dissapeared and merged with the white clouds. Her red eyes closing and blending with the rest of her.
Stone looked at Dream, who was searching for a movement from her.
"Let her go." Said Stone.
Dream shook his head, "I can't."
"You have to, you can't go flying after her. Her breed won't like it." Stone said.
Dream sighed, he didn't love her, he cared for her.
"Let's go our own way, we need to." Said Stone, getting himself ready for a long flight.
"Promise you'll come back!" Cried Tainya, hugging Stone.
"I can't promise Tainya. I can only try to, save up all the fights until I come back. If one of them hurts you....." Stone began.
"I know I know, tell them you'll be very, very angry." Smiled Tainya, looking up at Stone.
"Goodbye." Said Stone, and flew up into the air.
Dream followed him, beating his wings gently.
The flew side by side, equal in their own ways.
Tainya saw great differences in them, but in some way they were the same. Stone was powerful and could easily kill anything. Dream was impressive, and could not kill something in the flesh, because of his personality. Stone had a mind for battle, as she knew. She thought Dream was more of the thought pressed one. But she was wrong, Stone still thought realistically. Dream, as his name told her, just dreamed of things impossible.
As the flew, gold and gray, spectacular and dull, graceful and powerful, equal friends, she knew they would both return. They would all reunite again some day, some time, some year.
They would all know each other instantly, and would all have their own story to tell.
As for Ruby, if she would return, she was uncertain. The True Dragons lead a very different life, of which she was puzzled about. The way they lived was full of mysteries, and that's what made things scared of them. And through fear, usually hatred evolved slowly. It started as curiosity, and as some things were discovered, fear and cowardness came from minds. Then, that dissapeared, and hatred reared its ugly head into the other two breeds of Dragon. Now that hate had become war, a deadly and gruesome war that would last a very long time.
Tainya was unsure, and so was the rest of the world.

As they flew, they glanced at each other now and again. They only remembered each other well as youngsters, not as full grown dragons. They hardly recognized each other, they felt themselves in un-known company. Dream had become more adult like, and Stone was brutal and fearless. Dream wanted to know the young Stone again, his old personality and nature. His clean claws and teeth, not stained with blood. The anger inside him had grown, and covered his scared body. His mind was for battle, for the flow of blood and for the un-knowing feeling of war. Stone wanted to fly, and feel the wind rushing past him, and for the world to be of lower stance than him.
He wanted the world, to bow and fear him. Stone was now a warrior, but he was still a friend. Stone may kill others for his own life, but he had not broken the bond of friendship with Dream. It had just been chewed down, thin and weak. But the connection was still there, still keeping its hold. It would never break, it was far too strong for that. No force could, not at all. Unless, raw magic hit it hard, and stayed festering at it for years. Even then, years of healing could re-connect it.
Friendship, when it was real, was very hard to break.
Stone knew this, but sometimes he forgot it. Relativity, could not really exist. For a friendship, could last forever. It would never be lost in time, it may dissapear for while, but it would always return.
Even through the death of one, friends could still exist. Through their spirit.
Stone glanced at Dream, his wings, gently beating. Then opening up to catch the wind and let him glide.
Dream had changed, he had grown in mind and body. He was mature, he was not of the Plain breed though. Something Stone, that something else was existing in Dreams mind. Something strange and wonderful, that could go both ways. As a dis-advantage, or, as an advantage.
Dream glided beautifully, he was strong and graceful. His golden colour sparkled in Radiuses eye, making himstand out on Stones dull drab gray.
Stone envied Dream, Dream was handsome and charming. He was quite wise, and had hardly any scars from battle. He was probably liked, and not feared by all beasts. He probably feared nothing, as he seemed quite calm about most things.
Stone, through his power and muscel, feared some things. He feared that one day, he would be beaten, and everything would go for his throat. They would have waited so long for the moment, to kill him and put him to his death. They would enjoy ripping him to shreads, and taking all he owned. They would hurt his much loved Tainya. She would be taken away from him, by some other Dragon.
Probably Crund, he was the type of Dragon to do that. They didn't like each other, and they didn't hate each other. They just knew each other, and didn't like it each other. It was a small disgust of each other.
Crund would take joy in having everything that Stone did.
Dream, on the other hand, had no need for creatures to hate him. He was likeable, he was liked. He was cared for, he was special.
Stone wasn't special, he was hated. He was a guilty murderer, of his own kin and kind. He murdered his mothers egg, and he murdered other dragons. He ate the other dragons as well, in a famine. Or when he had no other prey to hunt.
As they flew, thoughts dashed across their minds. And they constantly thought of the changes in their lives, Dream would have to be careful around Stones new attitude. Stone would have to be careful, because of Dreams improved mind. They would have to cope though, and stick together. It might be hard, but it wouldn't be impossible. Definately not impossible.
Nothing at all, is impossible. Everything is possible somehow, but maybe not at the moment you think about it. There is a way, around everything, to make it possible.
They began to cruise towards the edge of the North-East coast of the island. They saw the bare beach with no trees, it was stained with blood. There was even a battle going on at that moment. As they got further, a group of five dragons leaped from the wood and began to fly after them. They were Serpents of course, and Serpents were fast flyers.
The five got quicker, and their wing beats got louder.
"We'll never out fly them. Come on." Stone said, and suddely dived down towards the ocean.
"Oh no, I'm not going down there." Said Dream, shaking his head. Suddenly there was a snarl and a snap behind him. Dream dived towards the ocean.
He plumetted into the warm waters, millions upon billions of bubbles forming to make a great white cloud, float up towards the surface.
Dream swamp deep, his four legs helping him go deep. His wieght helped as well, he looked back to see the Serpents swimming after him. Their snaky shape helped, but they hardly had anything to paddle deep with. Full of air, they couldn't get as deep as Dream. Thier light, hollow bones were no advantage either.
With a burst of bubbles, the Serpents adandoned the chase in water.
Dream remembered the first time he had been underwater, being carried by the Serpants. Suddenly a terrofying thought struck him, the sea monsters.
Wailings and clicks filled the water, growls and moans creeped in around his ears. From the darkness of the blackish-blue sea, things emerged. He swam upwards, but they swam faster. Their large wide mouths enclosing on him, the sharp teeth smacked closed behind him, but only just.
He was hit off course by a massive flipper.
Dream shoom his head, and began swimming. But the surface he was trying to see was getting no closer. He realised what he was doing.
He was swimming down.
Dream didn't just let himself float up, he knew what would happen to his blood if he did that. He let himself up in bursts, about three meters or so. He wacked off the monsters, even though they were thousands of times bigger then himself. One of their eyes were bigger than him. Dream was pertofied of them, but the water was getting lighter, the surface getting closer. With a sudden burst of speed, he leapt into the sky, a pleaseiosaur like creature leaping after him. It splashed down with the most tremendous wieght, making the splash reaching high up into the sky.
Dream climbed altitude, shaking off the water and the fear.
He didn't call for Stone, that would let the Serpent Dragons know where he was.
In the white cloud, he spotted Stone, gray on white stood out quite well.
He flew after him, and flew beside him.
"Have we lost them?" Asked Dream eagerly.
"I think so, I can't be certain. I gave one of the four a good hit." Smiled Stone.
Dream laughed, and they flew out of the cloud.
"How long would you say to home?" Asked Dream, eager to see his father again.
"About six days. We need to rest at day, night is easier to fly in. Cooler, and more breezes." Said Stone, who knew a lot about good conditions for flying.
"Alright then, should we land at the next place we see?" Asked Dream.
"No, too dangerous." Said Stone. "It'll be near Serpent territory. We'll need to fly for a long time today, until we're past the mouth. We can rest safely in the Field of Stealth."
"Now we can." Sighed Dream, as the glided effortlessly over the ocean.
In the distance to the South-East, he saw the mouth, Kroths mountain and his forests. He saw Serpents patrolling the skies, and if they saw Kroth, he would let them go.
Dream looked out to the ocean, out farther then he could see. He wondered, what lay beyond the mass of water. He wanted to go there some day, and see the land and creatures.
He flied without speaking, for what seemed like a day to him. Then he spoke.
"What's over the sea?" Asked Dream.
"I don't know, we'll find out one day." Shrugged Stone.
"Yeah, one day." Sighed Dream, he wanted to see it now. But he knew home couldn't wait, he needed to get there soon. They probably knew a lot, that their side needed to know.
Dream felt though, that it wasn't his side. His side was somehwere else, somewhere he wasn't sure of.
Where ever it was, it didn't feel like the Plain Dragon Lands.
"What do you think will have happened there?" Asked Dream, he wanted to know more about Stones new personality. To get to know him again.
Stone paused for a while.
"I think, that I honestly don't know." Said Stone, he had visions in his head, but he couldn't explain them.
"Oh, I don't either." Said Dream, looking over at Stone. "I've never seen a war."
"Nor have I. I've been in fights, but not wars. They're far too drastic." Stone said.
"Yeah, definately." Agreed Dream, even though he didn't know what he was agreeing to much. The land was close now, and they would easily pass by where the Serpents lived. It was silly saying it was dangerous, but it was partly true. Kroth scent out scouts, to patrol what he called his land.
It wasn't really, it belonged to the Plain Dragons. Not much to the Serpent Dragons at all.
"Why will it take us six days to get to our families? When its taken us just a day to get here." Asked Dream.
"Well, the other armies will be around Dragon Mountain. It will be very difficult to get over or around them un-hurt and into the Mountain. If its still there." Explained Stone.
"The fields very large as well, even quite difficult to fly over. I guess that adds to it." Added Dream, he was now letting Stone know what he was like.
"I may have estimated too long, it was an odd guess. Now I think half of that is really nessecery." Thought Stone, he was showing he wasn't all brawn.
Stone felt comfortable, he was nearing his birth place, his family. He was going to help them against the other two breeds, and destroy them. He wanted to kill off the True Dragons especcialy, they were freaks and dangerous. Even so called friends tried to kill him, so they had no right to exist. Even if they kept their noses out, which wasn't what they were going to do. As for the serpants, they just needed a little sorting out. Tainya and the others on Forest Island didn't need any at all, but the ones by The Mouth definately did. Kroth needed a death scentence according to Stone. The Plain needed to rule, they were the best at ruling. They would take very good care of No Creatures Land, and not ruin it like the Griffins did.
It had been a sad case with the Griffins, they had scraped the land of everything. The creatures had moved on, the water had dried up, because of the Griffins discovery. They found, in an under ground cavern, there was a storage of raw magic. It had been locked away, by a creature a long time ago.
Just in case, the world was stripped of its magic. It would spread and bring back everything that was gone, like the True Dragons. The Griffins though, had lost all their powers, and had been searching for the caverns of magic for centuries. When they found it, they bathed them self in the power, making themselves more powerful then two True Dragons put together.
After that, they made the land a barbaric desert. They piled all the rocks in one place, and they merged them together to make the mountains. They made the deep rivers into ravines and the lakes and pools into giant crators. Then, the land was so bare, there was nothing left. The magic was gone, used up.
They all left, and no one wanted it. It was nothing, so it was left that way. The Griffins moved to somewhere with more magic to use, so they moved in and took some of Enemco.
They called it Liento, after their leader. They were feared, deeply feared. They kept them selves in a canyon, the Canyon of Griffins. A giant hive for their kind.
Then it had recovered, but no one noticed it. No one cared, Kroth said that Damaco was not happy with them moving. Kroth knew though, that if they moved, he was vulnerable to attack. He was not very good in th air, just on the ground. He was old, and weak, he was not capable of the long journey.
Dream and Stone were now flying over the field, and the night was coming. They landed gently by the river, gliding down from the clouds. They drank for a while, and bathed themselves.
"We need to eat, we're only going to sleep for a couple of hours. We need to move fast. Many other Dragons may be hiding in this field, especcially by the river." Said Dream.
"Yes, that's best. I'll hunt, you sleep. Then you can eat my catch, and I'll sleep." Said Stone, and ran off into the long grass.
With hunger in his stomach, Dream pulled grass from the ground and laid it underneath and over him.
He was uncomfortable, he didn't know how he was going to sleep, for even a couple of hours. But he would, and soon the long flight got the better of him.
He closed his eyes, and slept.
And for once, it was a dreamless sleep.

Dream woke, he was shaken by cold claws. He lifted his head, and looked around. Stone was standing tall in front of him, a carcass held in his jaws. He dropped it limply in front of Dream.
"Eat." Nodded Stone.
Dream looked at Stone strangly, something was wrong. Dream pulled himself over to the deers body, and began to eat luxuriously. As he tore off the flesh, he watched Stone lay heavily down in the grass, and go straight to a deep sleep. Dream kept eating slowly, until he was quite sure Stone was asleep.
As he approached the sleeping giant, fear crawled up his spine. It made him shiver, he was afraid Stone was going to wake, and catch him looking around.
Suddenly Stone moved, but only because he was dreaming. He twitched, and then slept quietly again.
Dream searched over Stones body, and saw that he was lying on his side. On the grass of the other side, there was a liquid. It was not easy to see the colour in the darkness, and he stuck his claw in it.
He lifted it up to his nose, and sniffed.
Dream suddenly shook it hard, and it flicked all over Stones body.
It was blood, Stones own blood.
Out of some ironic future, Stone rolled over onto his other side.
Dream rushed out of the way, to stop himself being crushed. He saw several slashes across Stones side, all leaking with blood. They were not very deep, and seemed to be rushed. They started off as three separate slashes, and got shallower to one.
Dream jumped over Stones body, and inspected his fore-arms. They had blood on them, fresh blood.
He smelt them, they smelt not of deer, not strongly of deer anyway. It was mixed.
Dream decided to go back to eating, he was hungry.
He pulled at the flesh and chewed on the bones, he tore off the fur and ripped off the legs. As he ate he watched Stone begin to stirr in his sleep more and more. He had no idea what had happened when Stone had gone out hunting. Dream didn't concentrate on enjoying the food, he just watched with curiosity at the way Stone moved. His claws flashed out now and again, his tail twitched and his jaws snapped open and shut. His ears flicked now and again, and he growled gently in his sleep.
Dream wanted to see inside Stones head, he really wanted to know what was happening.
He was desprate to know what was disturbing his friend, then he would understand.
Dream knew he wasn't a True Dragon, he had no magical powers at his grip. Something inside him though, told him he had a spark. He had a small magical spark inside him, and when he had the wood, he would take the spark and set alight the fire of magic. Of the power and control of this dangerous force that Dragons so easily took for granted.
His throat and mouth were made to fire out flames, and his mind was made to do things that were both for good and for battle. He itched to see inside Stones brain, and he would try.
Dream had seen what Ruby looked like when she tried to put herself in minds, and that was what he was going to try to do. At first he thought he was being silly, then a shiver ran down his spine. He concentrated all his efforts and thoughts, onto the picture of Stones head. He blackened the space around Stone, so that he could concentrate. His mind began to burn, it hurt and stung like a million hornets had been agrivated inside it. His eyes were closed, but they felt sore and dry. His body heated up like a fire, and he began to work what he knew to do.
He shot himself towards the sleeping Stones brain, and with a zip of energy and magic he was inside Stoens brain. It wasn't the complicated tubes and sections that the smarter of the Plain Dragons had described, but it was like a library. Blue lines and flashes zipped everywhere, bouncing off walls and echoing. One of them shot straight into Dream, and Dream was somewhere else.
He saw the Field of Stealth around him, and in the darkness, there were too dragons. They lunged at him, scratched and tore at him. He felt no pain, but he slashed and bit back. He ducked and manouvered, but still he was hit. Then he was struck to the ground, and heavily as he landed he opened his eyes.
He was no longer in a quick hit and slash battle, but he was back in his own body. The trip had been so quick, he could hardly remembered what had happened. He had been looking at flashing beams, one hit him and suddenly he was being attacked. He fell to the ground and woke up again, it was all that he remembered. He shook his head, and looked over at Stone.
He was no longer sleeping.
Stones eyes were lit up in the dark, like cats eyes. He stared at Dream, steadily blinking.
"Have you eaten your fill?" He asked.
Dream looked at where the food had been, only bones were left.
Had what he had gone through actually happened? If so, why was his meat divoured.
"Eer, yeah. We can go now." Nodded Dream, un-warily.
"Right then." Said Stone, and got up. He shook himself like a dog, and stretched out his wings, and puffed out his strong chest. Dream was scared, he may be grown up, but inside he was scared like a youngster. He used to look down on Stone, as a tagger-onner. Just hanging around Dream because he had no other friends. Now, Dream desprately feared Stone. He didn't regocnize him, he was a beast from the furture. Not his friend.
"Come on, let's go!" Encouraged Stone, and Dream ran after him.
He's changed. It was always me who was being ran after. Thought Dream.
Dreams not the boss anymore, I've changed for the better. Thought Stone, eyeing up Dream.
"Your not the boss! Niether of us are!" Shouted Dream suddenly.
Stone stopped suddenly. He wondered how in the world, Dream had read his thoughts?
There was no possibility he could have seen it from the way he acted.
"I know we're not, why did you just say that?" Asked Stone, twitching his ear.
"Umm, it's just, by the way you act and talk to me. It's sort of obvious." Mumbled Dream, like a naughty infant.
"Well, don't say it again. It'll break us up." Sneered Stone.
He can't be the boss of me, I'll show him. Thought Dream, and he ran ahead of the stomping Stone.
Stone just stomped faster though, and Dream thought of an alternitive.
He opened his wings, and flew over Stone easily. He jogged quickly ahead of Stone, and smiled to himself. Stone just growled and leaped faster.
"Come on Stone! Bet you can't run faster than.....ahhhhh!" Screamed Dream, as he suddenly fell to the ground.
"Stupid infant!" Growled Stone, and ran on four legs after him.
Dream was battling for his life, as long shadows darted around him. They slashed and clawed at him, and nipped him quickly on the sides. The sharp pains kept attacking him, no matter how fast he swiped he missed them. He swung his tail, but still he didn't get anywhere.
Suddenly from the long grass, Stone bounded over and struck the long shadows to the ground. He slashed gigantic gashes in their sides, and blood spurted everywhere.
"Get off him you snakes!" Growled Stone, and Dream knew what sort of zone they had entered. They had crossed into the Serpent Dragons hiding zone, and now they thought they were part of an army.
Dream slashed at them too, and groans and moans came from the ones he did strike.
"We'll get you!" Growled a familiar voice, as it dissapeared into the longer grass.
He tried to place the name, and the place, and the time. It was a she he could tell, and the voice was oh too familiar. It was Dagger, one of the three Serpents that captured them and took them to Kroth.
"I know her." Grumbled Dream.
"Do you?" Asked Stone curiously.
"Yeah, I do. I hate every scale on her." He growled.
"I don't care. I hate every hide of every Serpent!" Stone shouted out to the retreating Serpents. Not to mention True Dragons, back stabbers. Thought Stone.
Dream looked at Stone, "What did you say?"
"I said, I don't care, I hate every hide on every Serpent." Repeated Stone.
"No, after that." Urged Dream.
"I didn't say anything after that." Stone said, and Dream looked puzzled.
"I'm sure I heared yo say something, it began with 'not to mention'." Said Dream.
"I said nothing after that." Said Stone sternly, as he felt fear crawl over him.
Dreams fear of Stone was melting, but Stones small fear of Dream was just beginning to grow. Stone felt something alien was inside Dream, an alien source that made him not one of the Plain. Dream had the feeling inside himself, the feeling of not belonging in the Plain Dragon Lands. He also had the feeling, he was fighting for the wrong side.
"Can we go? I want to see my father." Urged Dream.
Stone nodded, and they walked on. Dream knew it would take several days to cross without flying, and he didn't want to walk. He wanted to fly, he belonged in the air. He belonged to swoop and dive and loop around in the clouds, that was what he was made to do.
His wings were large to carry his muscely body. He was muscely compared to most normal Plain Dragons, he was very tall as well. He was taller than Stone, but not as well built up.
As they walked, a blue tail slipped through the grass.
Dream wandered away, and poked his nose through. He saw the tail, and he went up, to the hips and body. He saw the marvellous wings, he saw the massive horns and the slender face. Of a True Dragon.
It was all blue, except for its wings. They were such a deep inky blue they looked like black.
The Blue Dragon sighed, and pulled Dream beside him with a wing.
"Why are you passing here?" He asked, in a deep old voice.
"That's none of your buisness." Snapped Dream, and pulled away. As much as he admired this Dragon, he feared him.
"It is plenty of my buisness, your supposed to be behind me, waiting for the attack sign!" Growled the Blue Dragon Gruffly.
"I have no part in your attack! I'm not on your side!" Shouted Dream.
The Blue Dragon stared at him. Then a smile spread across his horse like face.
"I know you. Now go on, I shall meet up with you again." The Blue Dragon smiled, and dissapeared.
Dream shook his head, ad ran quickly back to the awaiting Stone.
"What made you go in there?" He demanded.
"Doesn't matter. If you can hide things so can I." Retaliated Deam.
Stone sneered something under his breath, and then began walking again.
"If we're friends, we should share everything." Remarked Dream, he was beginning to feel in control of Stone now. Stone had his moments of glory, now it was Dreams turn.
Stone ignored him, and walked briskly.
Dream stood on Stones tail, and Stone gave him a sharp angry look.
"I hide nothing from you! I am fed up with this friends thing! You just want to get back and see if your daddies alright!" Shouted Stone. "Well I think your a bit dim really! There's a war on that could kill our families, mine and yours! So I think you should shut up and just concentrate and staying alive and alert!"
Dream was gob smacked, Stone had never been so angry before. This was the Stone he used to know, this one little scolding had bought him back.
Dream grinning stupidly, and nodded. Stone shook his head, and kept himself tall so he didn't have to look back at Dream.
Oh I'm your best friend alright. You just wait and see Stone, just you wait and see. Dream stared at the figure beside him, he was looking down, but in a way he was looking up.
He was looking up to him, he wanted to be strong and always with good remarks back.
He wasn't looking up in a father-son way, just a 'want to be sort of like him' way.
They walked for the entire night in silence, they encountered no more Dragons on the way.
The river was far back now, it was the line that serperated the Serpent army and the True Dragons army. They probably didn't know each other was there.
Actually that's not quite true, some of the Serpents crossed over for a while into the place where the True Dragons waited. Nevertheless they never saw each other.
As the sun began to rise, and the end of the field was still far away, they began to make a small camp.
They knew that if they were found by either side, they would be ripped to pieces or used as hostages.
So they would have to make a cover to hide and protect them. It would be hard to do as the only elements were grass, soil and the odd large stone.
They sat under a tree, one of the only ones in the center of the field. They thought of so many different and some stupid ideas, they could have filled a book with them.
As they tried to think quickly, the Eye of Radiuses bright light shinning in their eyes, Dream started planning. He looked at his long strong claws, and his muscely and powerful arms.
Stones were even stronger, and an idea was forming in his mind.
"We could dig!" Exclaimed Dream, and leapt to his feet.
Stone looked up at him.
"Just to stay for the day?" Asked Stone, as if he was too tired.
"Better than being ripped to shreds by Serpents." Pointed ot Dream.
"How come you seem to blame everything on Serpents?" Shouted Stone. "I don't like them at all, but it seems you have something for those beastly True Dragons! It makes me sick the way you take sides, even if the one you take is the worse side!"
Dream began to boil with anger inside, how dare he say that! What had he against them? He couldn't just make statements like that when he hardly knew what a True Dragon was like! "You have no right to say that!" Growled Dream, snarling. "The only True Dragon you've met is Ruby! She was good to you anyway!" Dream paused. "Only becuase your girlfriend was a Serpent."
Stone stood up, he didn't snarl or growl. He was too angry for that, he had something else in store for Dream.
He grabbed the scruff of Dreams neck, he didn't care whether his spines pierced his claw.
"You, better apologize!" Mumbled Stone, in a quiet growl.
Dream stayed silent, and tried to drive back the pain.
Suddenly there was a massive beat of wings above, and Stone let go of Dream. They looked up to the lightening sky, and a whole army of Dragons were charging towards Dragon Mountain. Dream was horrified, they were True Dragons. All roaring and growling, they were even clawing at each other now and again.
It was to be some sort of play, they wouldn't try to hit each other! Stone smiled at Dream, as the hoard passed.
"Didn't I tell you? Those so called friends of yours are enemies even to each other!" Smurked Stone.
Dream stayed quiet, he had no reply for the gray Dragon. It didn't seem like it, but inside he was still Dreams friend. At the minute, he was his only friend.
"We'll have to start digging, or else we're going to get caught." Said Dream finally, and began to dig.
Stone joined in quickly, and the massive hold they were digging began to progress.
Dreams claws began to hurt, as the dirt rubbed against them and made them sore. He stopped now and again, but saw Stone wasn't even pausing. Dream concentrated on digging, and tried to forget that his claws were hurting. The dirt flew up in his face and stung his eyes as he began to drag behind Stone.
"We'll have to stop now, I can feel water." Sighed Dream, and flopped onto the floor.
It was a big chamber, but they had to fold their wings and crush down a bit to sleep comfortably. Stone fell to sleep quickly, as usual. He snored loudly, and Dream found it very hard to get to sleep.
He tossed over in the nearly mud floor, and became hot and bothered. Dirt was kicked up in his eyes and over his body, by his tail which whipped everywhere.
To make matters worse, the roaring of the battle was loud and close. Dream finnaly got tired of it and began to crawl up. He pressed his chest against the bottom, and burst out into the fresh day air.
He suddenly ducked down again, when he saw he was in the midst of the battle.
The clash of teeth and the hollars and groans, all things loud and gorey. He cringed and clenched his teeth, when he saw Dragons of all breeds struck heartlessly to the ground. Blood was spilt everywhere, the grass turned from a peaceful green to a deadly red. The True Dragons had the advantage, and used their magic to kill great hoards of Dragons. Blasts of multi coloured dusts were thrown into the air, and nearby Dragons who had no powers were badly injured. Great cuts and gashes and tons of blood lay on the Dragons, some were only just alive. Sometimes Dragons missed their targets, and hit another one of their own army. Some would be so devastated, they would make a fellow soldier kill them. It was a bloody and gorey battle, but for some reason, Dream had to watch the outcome. He was too excited to sleep, he thought he would have plenty of energy for the night.
Suddenly a massive True Dragon rolled across his hole, hitting Dream on the head and knocking him out. Dream saw only a few things before darkness. A Dragon being brutally ripped apart by others, a Dragon laying with no eyes or limbs on the ground, a group of Dragons attacking and slashing at a single Dragon......a fuzzy battle, getting quieter, and darker......

Dream woke quickly, and raised his head. He felt a searing pain strike his cranium, and he sank to the ground again. It was dark and quiet, the crikets were out and the battle had gone. It was cool and crisp, but he saw dried blood on the tunnel. He closed his eyes and tried to forget the last instances he saw before he was totally out. They were disgusting, he never thought he would see such blood and hatred in the kinds he thought of. He thought those would be acts of madness, but no. They were acts of another kind. They were acts of fear, raw fear of each other. They were so scared, toturing and ripping apart each other was the only way to overcome it. To be the top, and prey off others, not to show mersey and to look after only yourself. Those were the laws of Dragon wars. They were not laws like do not steal and do not murder, these were laws to keep yourself alive. They were life laws.
Some were stupid, and fought with their heart more than their teeth and claws. They broke the laws, and showed mersey and looked after collegues. Those were the Dragons, who were killed. Dream opened his eyes again, to the dull light of the earth they had made. He looked around for a shape he knew and could build around, he saw Stone. Stone was lying there, watching over his friend.
"You nearly killed yourself." Said Stone, and flicked a pebble at Dream with his tail. Dream flinched, as the pebble hit his forehead. He built his eye sight around Stone, building up the picture. Then he replied.
"I wanted to see the battle, what I would be fighting in."
"Your not fighting in it, your not fit. You'd never seen a battle, let alone train and been in one." Stone said.
"I have seen a battle now, I know what being merciful ends up in. I know the laws, an old friend told me." Dream smiled, gently lifting himself up.
"Lie down, there's no point in moving." Stone said, and pushed Dream back down.
"We must go tonight! We must join our herd in the battle!" Exclaimed Dream.
"No, we mustn't go tonight. For one your hurt and in pain. Secondly because tonights a Dragons Moon. Its too bright, they will see us." Stone explained, and laid his head down.
"I don't hurt a bit! Anyway, the armies are back there." Dream said.
"Not anymore, they've advanced forwards. They're in front of us now, we need to go on a dark night." Stone said, shaking his head.
"We can't hang around forever! We need to help! Our forces might be running out rapidly, we need to get the information across to them!" Shouted Dream.
"What information?" Snapped Stone.
"That we're at our weakest and any time soon the Griffins will come!" Scorned Dream. His voice echoed out of their den and into the field, far across the lands, round Dragon Mountain and fading into No Creatures Land.
Silence, pure silver silence. Dream nor Stone moved, they just listened for the sound of silence. It was beautiful, far more musical than any instrument in the Mystic Lands. Silence, pure as silver. Finally Dream shifted uncomfortably, and looked at Stone.
"We must go tonight, before it's too late." Said Dream. "I have a feeling, tomorrow is far too late. We will only just make it tonight, if we're lucky."
Stone nodded his head, for once Dream was right. They needed to take what they could when they could, for the battles they would fight would be long. They needed to prepare quickly, and tell their leader what could happen to them. To get everything back to normal, could take decades. But they were prepared to wait and be patient, they would succeed.
Dream crawled out first, into the still and silent night. They made no sound as they padded onto the grass, Dream felt the cold blood beneath his feet. He tried to step somewhere bloodless, but that was almost impossible. They saw in the distance, the woods leading to Dragon Mountain. Dream looked back, and he couldn't even see the end of the field. But he wasn't looking for the end, he was looking at the past and beyond. He was looking at the present as well, he was wondering what it would be like in Enemco. What it would be like for Ruby, the one he was ment to take care of.
Now she was alone, and she could even be dead. She might be thinking the same thing, might be looking back like him. Dream turned round, it was difficult to look back. To think of all the things they could have avoided, and this war that they themselves had caused. They caused it out of anger and frustration, and out of a small dream. Out of their future, came others painful end. Dream felt guilty because of that, but he couldn't imagene what Stone felt like.
Whether he liked it, or admitted it or not, it was Stones fault. He had encouraged Dream, and Dream had agreed. If not for Stone, the whole thing would not have happened so soon. But it was bound to happen sometime, the Griffins had waited long. They were patient creatures, savage and patient.
They would in the end start a war, a long hard war that would in the end give them the overall benifit.
Dream knew this, but Stone was too devestated by the war to think it wasn't his fault. He himself was a warrior, but without a pure heart, no warrior could go into battle.
Dream ran to caught up with Stone, who held his head low, for more reaons than one. Dream couldn't bend down low enough to be level with Stone, so he had to be higher. Shorter and powerful, taller and a little less than powerful. Stone was more bulky, Dream was more muscel. They both were strong, always walking and flying had made them that. The muscels that moved their wings could do more than that.
"How long, till we get there? Days?" Asked Dream, as they walked briskly.
"Two days I estimate, or nights." Said Stone quickly.
He suddenly stopped though, and sniffed the air.
"We're appraoching the armies sleeping ground." Said Stone. "Tread carefully."
Dream wondered if the Blue Dragon he had encountered was still alive, hopefully so. For some reason, the Blue Dragon had not killed him. He had said he knew him, it was a puzzling mystery.
Walking through the grass, Dream saw gigantic wings and backs, of multi colours and shinning. Plain Dragons could only be one colour, but these beasts could be of many colours! Dream truly wished he could be like them, and stand out among others.
Walking among giants, magical giants with the powers to do anything they wanted. To be able to read minds and breath flames and ice. The limit to what these beasts could do was endless, that was what had scared the other two breeds. That these Dragons, could take over the whole of the Mystic Lands and more. The world if possible, and that was one of the small reasons that started the True Dragons rebelions. They were the ones who did not respect the True Dragons, they didn't bow and scrape to them, they hated them. They wanted them all dead, they were not a group, they were just singled out.
Dream hated them, how could they not admire the real Dragons? The first Dragons ever to live upon the planet, the True Dragons. As their name implied. A long time ago, before Serpent Dragons and Plain Dragons, there were only True Dragons. They were just known as Dragons. Then, foreigners came. They were from a different country, from across the ocean. They were long and had massive faces, there legs were far apart. They had tiny wings, but they had powerful magic. They could set alight the whole of the mystic lands, well one of them could easily. Despite this, they were friendly. And a Dragon fell in love with a charming female, and when the foreigners were going to leave, a few stayed. Un-luckily the result of their bonds was to mate, and strange eggs were laid. These eggs hatched out strangely long and stupid looking dragons, they were accepted for a while. When they became too many, and too often, they needed to put them somewhere else. Enemco was for True Dragons, not a different breed. So they were put to the mouth, and forgotten. The strange eggs became few, and then they became no more. The new breed was breeding, and the first ever one kept on living. He was related in the distance to the True Dragons, but his past was forgotten. He was Kroth.
How the Plain Dragons came about, nobody knew. They just became more and more, their history strange and unknowing.They had little special events, they just cared about discoveries and other logic things. History ws unimportant, the future was much more exciting.
Ahead of them, Dragon Mountain looked puny now. They could see red shadows flicking against the walls, but why Dream couldn't work out. He saw that knowing expression on Stones face, but it was also the 'don't ask me' expression.
They walked through the sleeping Dragons, and occasionly had to slip past an awake one. Dream serched for the Blue Dragon, he wanted to see and speak to him. But he saw nothing of him, he saw nothing of the Dragon who knew and did not want to kill him.
After hours, they came out of the army and into the blood fields. Bodies lay on the gound, ripped and mortalized. Dream was shocked at some of the dead. One Dragon was melted, a red glow formed around him. Dream threw a stone in the small field, and it melted instantly.
Another Dragon looked breathless, and when Dream realized his neck had been squeezed as thin as a hair he knew why. Another Dragon had his eyes hanging out of their sockets, and his face slashed to nothing but a skull. Ones brain was exposed, and dry as a bone.
Dream passed one lying on his back, no wounds or anything. Only one long black line from his forehead to the tip of his tail, this puzzled Dream. He put his claw on the line, and suddenly it opened up. Dream gasped, too shocked and frightened to scream.
The Dragon was empty, he was hollowed out. Rats scattered from the body.
"How did they do that.....?" Gasped Dream, standing back from the body.
"True Dragons have some heartless powers." Growled Stone, looking over the body. It was the body of a Plain Dragon.
"I thought it was just sleeping at first, then when he never moved I knew he was dead. Then how he was killed puzzled me, and now...." Dream turned away, and they walked through the other bodies.
Dream couldn't count them, there were far too many. He just remembered the worser incidents. After a few more hours, the sun began to rise again.
"We'll have to dig again, but there's no trees now. The grounds slippery with blood, but we'll have to dig." Said Stone, and began to dig. Dream joined in, and they dug even quicker this time.
They never thought the battle would be this bad, but now they knew if they didn't work quickly enough, they would never survive another day.
They didn't dig so deep, so the ground wasn't so wet. The chamber they made was bigger so they could move more freely. Just as the armies began to awake again, Dream and Stone had finished. Stone went to sleep again, he was always wanting to save his stregnth in case of the worst happening.
Dream was far different, he wanted to see everything, in case something important happened. Despite Stones warnings, he was going to see the next battle, if there was one.
He waited until Stone was in a deep sleep, and he climbed up the tunnel to the surface. He poked his head out, and saw the daylight flooding into his eyes.
Why they chose to fight during the day he didn't know, he expected the battles to take place during the night.
Dream waited patiently, waiting for the armies to charge at each other.
For some reason though, that never happened. They didn't come, after hours of waiting for it to happen, Dream saw nothing.
Dream went down again, dissapointed and quite annoyed. He wanted to learn more about the fights he might be taking part in, now he would have to wait again.
He curled up on the ground, and closed his eyes. He eventually fell to sleep, the mysterious dreams he enjoyed having were gone now. They were probably giving him time to think them over or something, that was his explanation. He never thought anything else, he just thought that.
The next day he would wake again, and during that day he would be home.
He would see his father again, the one he hadn't seen for twenty-one years.
His beloved father.

Dream woke for the night, and he leapt up with anticipation. He scrambled around, searching for Stone in the dark. He tumbled over him and shook him madly.
"Wake up! Wake up now for goodness sake!" Screamed Dream, and Stone woke with a start. Stone lifted himself up, and yawned.
"What's up? What's all the fuss about?" Asked Stone, looking at Dream.
"Look, I've waited long enough to see him! Now I'm going to and I'm going to today!" Shouted Dream.
"I'm so close to him!"
"To who? Who are you talking about?" Asked Stone, following Stone out of the earth.
"My father! Who'd you think?" Scorned Dream, and ran over the red grass.
Stone pulled him back, and looked him in the face.
"Do you think I don't miss my mother and father? I have a family too!" Said Stone, and shoved Dream away.
"Yeah well he's the only relative I've got!" Shouted Dream.
Stone stayed silent. He knew it was true, and he felt sorry for Dream.
He looked into Dreams desprate eyes, Dream was so scared his father too might be dead. He had lost a parent already, one he didn't even know. Now he didn't want to go back to find he was alone, the only of his blood. His father might have been quite harsh years ago, when they touched those bones. Now Dream didn't care, he just wanted to see his father again.
"Let's go." Said Stone solemnly, and they jogged quickly.
That jog turned into a lope, that lope into a run, and that run into a sprint.
The faster they ran the quicker they got there.
Dream could see the woods, he could see the tip of Dragon Mountain!
He spread his wings and flew, he flew like he had never flown before.
Dream ignored Stones shouts, and he flew before the woods. He landed, and felt the welcoming of home. He walked into the woods, and felt a cool breeze brush against him. His horns rattled the branches of the trees, and his tail flattened the grass.
He didn't look back to Stone and the bloody battle fields, they were the past now.
The only understanding Dragon of his kin was before him, and he was going to see, touch and greet him greatly. He wouldn't let him go without him, he would have to see him. He would have know he was there, and he would forgive him. He would take care of him, he would be his father. Dream entered the woods, and walked briskly past, his wings closed tightly against his shimmering golden body. His child mind was showing again, he wanted his father. He was scared and wanted protection, friends were not of any importance. This was family, his own family. His own blood. His own father and nobody elses, he was going to be in his care again. He was going to be his son, his grateful and loving son. No matter what, no matter if his father was a trater or murderer, he would love him dearly. Nothing mattered but him now, nothing.
The world could set alight and burn everything to ashes. He wouldn't care.
Everything on the planet could hate him and try to kill him and rip his eyes out. That wasn't to care about. He had worn the bond thin, it had almost broke. Now it was growing strong, it was growing new.
Dreams mind set aside the shouts from Stone, the warnings and the crash of twigs and leaves. Dreams mind set itself on his father, his creator, his carer.
His heart was set on his birth place, no matter if he felt it was right to him or not. His father was there, so it was a very special place to him.
Dream couldn't see Dragon Mountain ahead with his eyes, but he could see it with his heart.
He could see his father, his arms open to him. His massive green body gentle and loving, there to protect him. He didn't care whether he could defend himself, if he was grown up and supposed to be independent. He hadn't seen his father for so long, that was the reason he was so desprate.
Pushing through nettles and sharp thorns, his blood trickling down his scales. He didn't feel them, he only felt a warm feeling spreading through his body slowly. Becoming more comfortaing the closer he got to his father, he began to sweat. He began to think what would happen if his father was dead or ill, dying or far away where he couldn't go.
Dream demolished those thoughts quickly, and put his mind to going faster. The wood was still thick and still a lot was to go. He would never make it that day, he would have to go quicker. He couldn't go quicker, even if he let his wings rip. He looked for a clearing up ahead, and thought.
Dream forgot Stone saying about keeping low, where they couldn't see him.
There won't be any other breeds here anyway.
He climbed up a tree quickly, and sat on the top of it. He spread his massive wings, and flew quickly to his target. He heard a flapping behind him, Stone was trying to catch up with him. Suddenly an aching of muscels dawned over Dream, his breath began to run out and he slowed down.
He had been so involved in thinking and going quicker, the realities of life hadn't came to him. Stone flew beside him, growling.
"You stupid Dragon! Your putting mine and your lives at risk! There's a fire around Dragon Mountain! There are other breeds in this wood and around the fire!" Shouted Stone over the beat of wings.
"I don't care! My fathers in that gigantic rock! Let me find him!" Shouted Dream, the child was gone.
The adult was back, and angry. Dream swiped at Stone, who tumbled down to the trees below.
Dream felt his head spinning, he breathed deeply, and tried to concerve his energy.
As Dragon Mountain drew nearer, his desperation became more strong.
I must get there quickly! I can't waste any time!
Dream pushed on, his wings began to flaw. He missed a few flaps, and stumbled in the air. His heart beat was getting too fast, he felt sick and was going to pass out. He would have to land first, before he lost all control and tumbled to the ground below.
The trees were closer now, and Dragon Mountain was still a good fifteen minutes away. He pushed more energy in, he would have to give back the breath soon.
His mind turned away from his father for a few moments, and thouhgt of how to quickly get his breath back. Dream stopped.
He hovered in the air, letting the breeze hold him up. He gasped deeply, wheezing and coughing.
His mouth was dry and his tongue tried to call up more flem to wet it.
The hot air made his mouth burn and sting, pain began to come over his body.
But he had his breath back, he could stop again later. The truth was, he was still wheezing for breath.
He flew again, in short bursts of speed, he tried to push away he sick feeling.
Dream stopped again, and gasped and wheezed like he was having an asthma attack. His chest puffed in and out quicker.
He waited for several minutes, until he felt quite comfortable. Except from the sickness feeling, he was going to throw up. He felt it climbing his throat.
It was hot and gasy, he flew again, to get rid of it. He began to choke as air mixed with what was coming up, he stopped and coughed the sick onto the woods. His eyes were sore, as the heat of the fire was getting into them. He flew faster, he was going mad. He was going insane with the will to see his father, he had pushed his love for him too far. He was going to fly right into the fire, but it still seemed far away in his mind. Something kept him ticking, through all the things that were going into his body.
Stabbing pains and awful cramps, he didn't care. He didn't know why he was trying to go so fast now, he felt the wind whistling past his ears and thought he was in a race. He looked quickly behind and saw a small gray speck fly up from the forest. Maybe he was being chased, he tried to fly faster.
Then, ahead he saw the mountain. His home, his kin.
His father.
He knew now, he remembered all the years of not seeing or hardly thinking of him. Now he would be with him again, they would be once more together. Father and son. Dream recalled his fathers name, Gorlock. The name rang and echoed in his mind, and blocked out anything else.
Dream turned round again, the gray shape was getting closer. Small noises came to him, but he ignored them. Dream was in a fit of madness now, of speed.
Suddenly the sight before him made him jump out of his skin.
The fire was just in front of him.
He went to break suddenly, pushing his wings back to stop the wind. It was too late though, Dream went flying through the fire, screaming and shouting in pain.
He saw himself go soaring through it in his minds eye, in slow-a-motion.
The many different colours of the fire flashed through him, his body burnt and scorched.
He fell to the dusty ground, and rolled several times over. His wings flapped about, and his claws scratchd his body.
Finally all the movement stopped, he lay on the ground, still at last. The world spun though, and he had to close his eyes to stop it.
He was there though.
He was home.

Dream didn't know he had fallen to sleep, and when he woke up he was somewhere else.
He was in a dark cave, but it was dry and warm. His eyes stung, and his body ached.
Then again they did before, but at least the sickness and the need for more breath had gone. He looked around, dark and quiet. No whistling wind or burning flames.
Dream looked for a feature in the room, other from the plain walls and the still stones.
In the corner of the room, stood a tall dark figure. Its eys stared at him, in disbelief.
He stepped forward, where Dream could make out his shape.
"Father?" Croaked Dream, as his throat was sore.
"Son." Breathed the figure, who was Gorlock.
Gorlock sat by his son, and nudged him gently.
"I've missed you father.....I wanted to see you...." Gasped Dream.
"Rest my son, you have stressed your body beyond belief. We're together again, that's all that matters now." Comforted his father.
"Years ago, I'm sorry...." Dream cried, tears trickling down his cheeks.
"Your forgiven son, I shouldn't have blamed you for what you didn't know. Rest." Gorlock said, and put his tail on his sons.
Dream wanted to ask more questions, but he could see his father was worried.
He looked at his fathers leg, three long scars lay on him.
Dream sighed and closed his eyes, he tried to sleep, he tried to comfort himself by saying his father was there.
He still couldn't believe he was home with his father, his only living relative.
The thoughts finally soothed him into a sleep, full of visions of his mother and father.
Something else was there, another character that was misty and he couldn't quite see.
It was a Dragon shape, smaller and slender. Why it was there he didn't know, but he would soon find out when he awoke.

The world was friendly, it was bright, and familiar. He felt right for once, the pains and aches were gone. He was alive, and he was glad for that. He thanked Damaco greatly, and lifted himself off the floor. His father was still by his side.
"Now your awake, good. I have questions, which I need not ask." Nodded Gorlock. Dream sighed, he couldn't keep his father in the dark about where they had been.
"I and Stone wanted to travel to Enemco, we wanted to see someting knew. We traveled as far as The Mouth, then the Serpents from Forest Island took us and scentenced us to life on their island." Dream paused when he saw the look of shock on his fathers face. "Then we heard about the war, and headed back to here. That was after twenty-one years though."
His father just stared at him for a while, for a moment anger rippled over his body.
Then it relaxed, he closed his eyes. Then when he opened them, he shook his head.
"How foolish we are....this whole war...foolish." Gorlock sighed.
"The Griffins will take advantage, we must stop the fighting!" Exclaimed Dream.
"I'm afraid not, the hatred of the other breeds have grown far too strong to break. It's either win or lose now, no turning back. Kill or be killed, I myself have counted myself out of the battles." Gorlock explained. "They can call me anything they want, I will not fight for a reason that is not good enough."
Dream sighed, he didn't want to fight either now. He would be helping to destroy Ruby, the one he was meant to protect.
"I may as well tell you now son, this is the best time." Sighed Gorlock.
He walked to the entrance of the old cave, and called out into the distance.
Gorlock walked back to his son, and they watched the shape come into their sights.
It was a female Dragon.
"Dream, this is your half-sister." Sighed Gorlock.
Dreams eyes widened, she was beautiful and slender. Her colour was a brilliant ochre, scattered with other shades of yellow over her body.
A half sister! He thought, a different mother.
He stared at his father, his eyes told all.
"Without you Dream, my life had no point. I had to have something else." Gorlock said. "What about mother, Samaya...." Gasped Dream.
"I still love her, the scar of her death will never dissapear. She is gone though, and when you dissapeared nothing would let me think of anything but you and her. News was you were dead, so I wanted another child. So Shine was born." Explained his father.
The ochre Dragon moved silently towards her older brother, Dream moved back. He wanted nothing to do with her, no matter how nice she was. She was of another blood, he wouldn't speak to her.
"The mother? Who's my step mother?" Snapped Dream.
"You won't know her, she's called Scarlet. She's very beautiful." Gorlock said.
Shine stared at Gorlock, her father.
"Who's this? You said you had no other children alive!" She exclaimed.
Dream looked at his father, he had said something without even knowing it.
He didn't say anything though, he wouldn't add to his fathers stress. He still loved his father, deeply. Dream didn't want him to feel alone.
"I thought he was dead Shine, this is your half-brother Dream." Introduced Gorlock.
"My half-brother? He had another mother? You had another mate!" Exclaimed Shine.
"I told you this before, you know that I had another mate. She's now dead." Said Gorlock sternly. Just then another Dragon came to the cave, she was a stunning red. Scarlet in fact. A rich Scarlet that made her look like she was made of velvet.
"So this is my half-son, very different." She nodded.
Dream sneered at her, if he didn't share blood with them, he cared not for them. Then again, he shared blood with Shine. He would have to have something to do with her, even if their blood was not exactly the same.
"I'm half everything! Half son, half brother! What next?" His anger bubbled inside him. He ran out and flew off the edge. He gently floated down to the ground, and folded his wings quickly.
That was the figure in his dream! A half-sister, but he never saw the step-mother for some reason.
Life was getting harder, it had been so easy when he was young. It was just a journey, that was all, nothing else was really involved. It was still a journey, but so many things had been added to make it harder to finish. Life was a journey, that only finished at your resting place. Sometimes you were part of someone elses journey, and yours still wasn't completed.
He had to think harder and more, expecially for his strange dreams he had. Dream looked back up at the cave mouth, Shine was staring down at him. She was no doubt beautiful, she out-shined Ruby when he looked at her carefully. Her ochre colour was so stunning, he was almost jealous in a way.
Never once had she insulted him, or sneered. She was in a way respectful, as she should be to an elder.
Dream felt guilty, he had sneered at her, and not wanted anything to do with her. Now she was looking at him for help, he was her older brother after all. They were kin, even if not purely.
She spread her massive wings, and flew down gracefully. She landed quietly, and looked up at the wall of flame. He reyes flickered, then she looked back at him. Her eyes showed sympathy, and curiosity.
They also showed pain, a pain deep in the heart that was hard to rid of alone. You needed family, and Dream was the only one she could talk to then.
"I didn't know, that you existed." She said, holding back the tears.
"Nor me, but I do and so do you." Dream said, wanting to put a wing around her.
"I wanted to be the only one, to have all the attention and have no brothers or sisters. I was happy by myself, father said he had had a son but he was dead. He lied." Shine sighed, and fanned herself with her wings.
"He didn't lie, he said what would have been right. It wouldn't have mattered, but the war started and I had to come home." Said Dream, and Shine looked puzzled.
"Your have something else in you Dream, I've hardly known you five minutes but I know your different. I'm just any old daughter, but your different. You've grown horns, your tail bears spikes and your body is taller and powerful. Not in a muscel way." Shine paused and thouht for a while. "In a way, that is un-explainable, but is there."
For one quite young, she spoke well. Her slender body perfect in every curve, in spite of her beauty and seeming to be different, she was normal. She had nothing special, nothing extra special. Even sharing blood with one who was special made her no different. She was normal. Shine looked at Dream, and he gave her a stare back. After a while, Shine turned away. Most Dragons of the same breed could stare at each other endlessly, as they were equal. For some reason though, not because of age or colour, Shine found it hard to keep up with the stare of Dream. His eyes and knowledge was far beyond it should be. It made her feel weak against him, and so she could not keep up the power.
"That's proved it, you have a destiny above others." Said Shine, glancing at Dream. "I knew that a long time ago, even though I wasn't sure." Dream replied, looking at the smoke rising from the flames. He watched them lick at the sky, as if they were trying to reach and burn the stars.
They had one ambition, to spread and devistate, to make everything into one of them. They were deadly locusts, and few things would kill off every single bit of them. Fire was hard to make extinct.
Dreams young face looked into Shines even younger face, the journey had started since the day he was created by Damaco. Everything was a journey, but his journey of life had a twist. He had a destiny, a destiny more special and difficult than anyone elses. He would need companionship, from more dragons than Stone. Stone was just one of the many he would probably meet and befriend, he was a starter. A firm relationship settled between them, others would come. Others would go.
No-one guaranteed all his friends would live to see the outcome.
So he guessed and hoped and prayed, that at least Stone would see his resting day. The day when his journey of his entire life ended, for now his journey as beginning. It would be many centuries before his end would willingly come.
Shine looked at him un-easily, she liked her step brother very much. He was special, and in her mind that made her important to him. She would try to keep him with her, for their meeting had not been long, but for some reason she felt such a deep feeling for this dragon. He acted and looked like no other, and now he wasn't like any other. The thing was, now jealousy would easily evolve and become threatening. She would kill to keep another females heart off him, she didn't want him to fall for the wrong dragon. For looks not heart, and she would stop him doing that. As he was still very much young, she would make sure that he did not start off looking for beauty young. She had no plans to find a mate, it was not important to her.
Suddenly Dream looked around, and Stone was standing there.
Shine hid behind him, she was scared of this one. He was large and looked lethal, what he wanted with Dream she had no idea.
"No worry, he's a friend of mine." Said Dream, and pushed her out with his wing.
"Dream, come with me." Said Stone, and Dream started to follow.
Shine tried to, but Stone gestured politely for her to go. She sighed, and walked away slowly and reluctantly. She didn't want to leave him, she wanted their bond to build quickly. To become far too strong to break before it was broken early.
Stone took Dream up Dragon Mountain, not looking or saying anything to Dream. Dream could sense he was going to be shown something sad and depressing, something he would be shocked to find out and devestated in sympathy. It was a feeling that was vibrating from Stone, it was easy to sense.
They walked to his mothers and fathers cave, and they walked slowly inside. Dream inspected the room, looking around. He turned and saw Stones mother, leaning over something in the dark. Dream didn't want to seem offencive and push her aside. He walked up to her, and stood beside her.
"What's the matter?" He asked simply, in an inoccent curious way.
She moved aside, and Dream looked at the space she was covering.
There in the dark, drenched in blood, was a head.
Dream just gasped and stepped back, he looked at Stone in horror. Never had he seen a disembodied head, with its eyes open and blinking!
Gently the head opened its mouth, and blood trickled out. The tongue flopped over the side of the jaws, slicing itself on the teeth.
"How's it doing that?!" Screamed Dream, pressing himself against the wall.
"A curse, from a True Dragon." Snapped Stone in disgust.
"Why? Why did he derserve to keep on living like that?!" Dream shouted, he was horrified that a True Dragon would use its powers to do this type of torture.
"What colour was the Dragon? What colour?!" Shouted Dream, he had a creeping suspicion in his mind that was itching.
"He can't speak Dream, its magic....."
"Blue!"
Stones mother glared at the head, her eyes wide with fear. Dream and Stone looked too, Stone pricked his ears up gently.
The head moved and suddenly jerked.
"Blue!" It repeated, as if it needed to create energy to speak. Dream got closer, and watched the bleeding head speaking.
"A Blue Dragon?" Asked Dream carefully.
"Yes!" The head said, and licked its lips.
"Are you alive?" Asked Dream, he didn't want to upset it but he needed to ask it.
"Not by blood! By curse!" Croaked the head quickly, and suddenly closed its eyes.
"Curse, why?" Asked Dream wanting to build up the difficulty of questions.
The head didn't seem to hear him, and looked over at Stone.
"Son, kill me!" He screamed, jerking suddenly.
Stone rushed over, and knelt by the head .
"Kill me!" The head repeated again.
"Father, I can't..." Cried Stone.
"Or I'll do it myself!" Snapped the head.
Stone stood back, and watched his fathers head begin to move across the room. "Need to die, too much pain..." It was grunting.
Suddenly it rested on its neck, and spider like legs sprouted from the sides of the head.
Stones mother by now was having a break down, and was praying on her knees to Damaco. She was praying that he be released from his pain and made as the brightest star. She suddenly stopped and looked at the spider head. She shrieked and ran out of the cave, she flew off the edge and away.
Stone looked at Dream.
"I can't decide, it's not my family." Dream said, and stood away to watch.
It scampered across to Stone, and looked up at him.
"Kill me now." It croaked. "Or I'll lock the next moment into your head for life."
Stone stood there, he wasn't going to commit fratricide, he was going to let the moment be locked in him.
"Very well son." The head jerked.
Suddenly he started bloating, expanding himself to blow him up. The head became a monstrous vision, the legs growing longer and spindley. Stone was horrified, but something made him stand right under this enourmous cursed monster.
Suddenly the spider monster started screaming, and twisting his head violently so to change the shape of his head painfully. Viens started expanding and pumping violently, making them stand out and making him no longer look like his father.
Suddenly blood splatted everywhere, legs hit against the wall, twitching with life and magic. Skin and scales fell to the floor, the scales clattering but being muffled by blood.
Stone laid on the ground, his body red and wet. His face was deep into the blood, he looked like he was drowning. Dream shook him hard, but he only rolled over. His eyes had glazed over, and his body twitched and flinched hard.
Suudenly Stones eyes turned back to normal, and he got up quickly, shaking his body. He looked at Dream and sighed heavily.
"I wish I'd killed him now. It wasn't the blowing up that's locked in my mind." Stone said. "What was then?" Asked Dream.
"It's very hard to explain, and even if I could, he would only put it into your mind. His soul rests in my head now let's put it that way." Said Stone simply, and walked out of the blood painted cave. He flew down to his mother, who was hiding herself in her wings. Dream watched Stone try to comfort her, and wished he still had his mother. Now he had this Scarlet, who called him a step son. Any kind Dragon would at least call him son.
Dream needed to settle it, he didn't want Scarlet, he didn't like her. He had made his mind up quickly, she was not his mother by any kind so she was not important.
Than he thought, Shine was also Scarlets blood. So if Shine shared Scarlets blood and he shared Shines blood, than he also shared Scarlets blood. Distantly.
He dismissed it, it was very complicated and he didn't want to end up like the logic Dragons of his kind.
He walked into the cave, and saw Shine sitting in her mothers wing. His father was sleeping in the corner, they all stopped and stared at him. The saw splats of blood on his body, by the smell they knew who's blood it was.
"Ask Stone." He said quietly, and sat himself by Gorlock.
"I need to settle something. About our little family." He said, staring directly at Scarlet. "I didn't want this to happen, I don't mind Shine, but I could at least have a respectable mother. Who treats me as I am, not as a step son of her mate which she has no part in. You may suddenly act nice and try to embarrass me, but saying I'm 'different' didn't help my impressions on you." Dream said to Scarlet, and she was gob-smacked.
Gorlock looked at his son, and knew he was a teenager.
Shine looked her her mother, she loved her dearly. Their bond was strong, and Shine would hate to lose it. Even if she did call her brother different, which she thought wasn't terribly nice.
She looked at her brother carefully, he was indeed different, as she knew. It was no need to call him that, he was special not different. So special she was proud. Something her mother was not, Scarlet wanted to discard him and let her new mate take care of him.
Gorlock said nothing, the wrong words could wreck everything. He loved Scarlet, and he didn't want to lose her. To him she was perfect, but to Dream she was far from it.
"Your beautiful yes, but whats beauty if you don't care for someone that's important to your mate?" Snapped Dream, but he didn't run away. Most Dragons made a remark than ran out, but he wanted to hear her reply.
She made no reply, and just stared hard at Gorlock.
"I have no part in this." He said. "He adressed you."
Scarlet turned to Dream.
How dare he, he looked like he had more respect! She thought to herself, and went to speak.
"You have no right to say that when you don't know me." Said Scarlet, and looked at her youngster to back her up. Shine began to speak, but Dream shut her up.
"Your even looking for support from her! Swine! She doesn't need to be mixed up in this! Go out Shine please." Asked Dream, and Shine walked from her mothers wing, and went outside. Dream looked at his father.
She'll look to you now, go please. His stare said to Gorlock.
Gorlock went out, leaving Dream and his step mother alone. His glared at her, and didn't look away from her. They kept staring for a while, niether one wanting to break out. Dream suddenly felt a shudder vibrate from his body to hers. She shivered and looked away, then looked back. "You may be able to beat me in small things boy, and of course you are no importance to me. You have no respect for anyone! So I'll just make sure you keep out of my sight!" Whispered Scarlet. "Shine wouldn't be pleased to hear you say that." Dream quoted.
"My beautiful daughter, the most stunning of the herd I think. Her colour is unique, and so is her gentle personality. She in my next act, that will keep you away from her." Said Scarlet, looking out to her daughter down far below.
"It won't keep her from me. She's my sister." Said Dream calmly, he thought Scarlet could make no serious impact.
She suddenly lunged at him, and held her claws to his throat.
"Before you die, I'll let you know something that will make you wish you'd pushed me off at this moment." Scarlet paused. "I'm not a Plain Dragon, I'm a very different breed...."
Scarlet suddenly started to whither away, her body became skinny and like only skin was hanging off her.
"Skeletal." She said, and went to swipe at him.
Dream rolled out of the way, and bit her. Blue blood leaked from her, hot and bubbling. Then it merged red as they heard wing beats. She suddenly shrunk back to her former shape, and became Plain once again. Suddely Gorlock and Shine rushed up to see the comotion Scarlet was making. They rushed to her side, and tried to comfort her.
"Leave Dream!" Shouted his father.
"Father she's not one of us...." Tried Dream.
"Go!" Shouted Gorlock, and Dream ran out.
It was no use, they wouldn't listen to him.
He ran, he ran quickly and fast. He wanted to go somewhere ad not be found, he wanted to stay there and watch them be killed and him to live. He didn't care, and he suddenly stopped. It would happen again.
He would go, and his father would be devestated. His mother the spy would slowly murder them all, and that would be the end. He would be a one Dragon army and his journey would be cut short. Dream knew that wasn't what was supposed to happen, he was supposed to turn round and go somewhere else. So he did, he went back, he was going to spill to beans to Gorlock and Shine and all the other Dragons.
He thought of the kind Scarlet had said she was, he couldn't remember it quite. Whatever it was, it held magic powerful enough to shape its body more than a True Dragon.
She was dangerous, and he felt her first kill would be that night. He would have to prevent it, but he would do it in day light. She wanted him to kil her at night, to make it look like a murder. He wsn't that stupid, he would do it when he had the evidence she was not of the Plain kind.
Dream ran into the cave, and saw Scarlet being fussed over by the two.
"She's not a Plain Dragon, and I can prove it easily." He said, and suddenly dug his claws into her. Scarlet screeched again, and held her arm tightly with her claws. For a moment Dream saw the blue blood, but it quickly blended into red. Scarlet started panting, as the blood flowed quickly from her arm. The screaming had drove most of the Dragons into curiosity, and they came up to look. They saw Scarlet, a very much new and loved member, bleeding. Also, a young Dragon with blood on his claws. "Grab him! He's gone mad!" One of them shouted, and Dream was held. Shine tried desprately to get them off him, but they dragged him carelessly away to be put in a dark cave. Dream knew that this happened to Dragons who were disturbed, but he wasn't disturbed. They had just caught him at the wrong time, Shine loped after him, asking them to release him. She was desperate for them to let him go, even though he had hurt her mother, she didn't want him to be sneered at for the rest of his life. Passing Dragons watched him being thrown into the dark cave, and the crystal dorr being set in front of him. They sighed and shook their heads, and Shine battered the door with her claws. She was angry and felt like clawing those Dragons to death.
Dream saw no point in trying to get out, it proved he was disturbed. So he walked away, and waited for something to happen. Most looneys who were put in here hardly ever came out, and he knew that there was one where he was that would really drive him mad.
He settled himself on the rough ground, and tried to sleep. His head on his claws, he felt like drifting off somewhere else. He knew he would get out, he couldn't be trapped in that little cave and do all the things destiny told him to. He would get out, he knew it.
From the corner of the cave, he heard a mad laugh bounce off the walls. From he darkness of the back of the cave, he saw a shape scuttle towards him. It was thin and bony, it looked as if it lived off water and ate tiny amounts. He knew all the disturbed Dragons were offered plenty of food and drink, and he saw it scattered about the cave. Brought up.
The thin shape spread its tatty wings, and cried out like a cockrel. It then burst out laughing again, and crouched by Dream. Dream sat up, and looked at this creature of the cave. He pittied it, being so defenseless and locked away from the world. Only a crystal door standing between him and freedom, he was soon to find out why he was locked away from the world.
"'Allo stranger! My names Biscuit! Ha ha he he!" He giggled, rolling over onto his back. "I'm a True Dragon you know, I can turn ito anything I want! Bresth fire as well, that's why I'm contained! Too vicious I am!" He screamed at Dream, kicking a puddle of brought up deer. It flicked all over Dream, and he realized the other Dragon, Biscuit, was covered in it. It was dripping off him, and the smell hit Dream so hard he nearly fainted. He saw Biscuits nostrils were so tiny, he was surprised he could breath. He guessed they evolved to lock out the smell, and the eyes were tiny because it was no use in the dark. His mouth wasn't strong for chewing meat, it was weak and good for slipping things down. He probably couldn't chew his food and it was brought up.
He really did feel sorry, and letting him be out again wouldn't harm anyone, just make them feel uncomfortable. Though Dream was waiting for things to happen, waiting for a story to be told. "What's your name bud? Why you put in me 'ouse of horrors? Nostrils too big, you'll faint in a puddle of me dinner! Cock-a-doodle-doo!" He giggled, and rolled about on the covered floor. They could at least clean the place out, I'd go mad in these conditions. Thought Dream. "My names Dream, they thought I hurt a female." Replied Dream, and saw Biscuits eyes open. "Your mother maybe? Step-mother prehaps? Course it was, me mother 'ated me, thought I was a little runt being so skinny. Couldn't chew me food, went bonkers frew the 'unger I did! Then they frew me in 'ere, I've been 'ere every since. About time they let me out, I'll drown in me sleep some day I will!" Biscuit explained.
So he was born like that, a really feel sorry for disordered Dragons like that. I'll get him out, he's probably been so patient.
"Do you see the day light a lot?" Asked Dream suddenly, for no particular reason.
Biscuit looked sad suddenly, and the insanity disspeared for a while. For a few moments, Dream saw a Dragon who had waited most of his life to run free again, to see and hear and touch everything his body was made to. Not to roll in vomit and see nothing but darkness.
"No, they shout and scream at me if I look out the door. Little ones run away, and don't come out for days. I 'ate to have that effect on the tiddlers I do. Poor things, don't know nofin." Biscuit sighed.
"Your going to be released tonight, and you can go away with everyone else." Said Dream, his mind speaking more than anything else. Biscuits eyes lit up, and he stood tall and folded his holy wings.
"Really friend? You too?! They gonna let me out with the others, and maybe find a mate? Have a little son and be proud and be leader!" Biscuit suddenly shouted. Dream couldn't do anything but nod, he had only said he would be let out. The rest was un-certain.
"Oo told ya friend? Guards prehaps?" Asked Biscuit.
"I'm letting us out, and you can go do anything you want. Except kill." Said Dream. Suddenly Biscuits eyes flashed, and he turned to Dream.
"I likes blood I do, nice stuff. Tasty and easy to swallow, got all I needed from it. I cut meself for a while, until I felt faint. Then I tried me mother I did, then I said sorry though. Pretty strict me mum, then I started killing! I got plenty of blood, all I needed! A feast!" Biscuit turned, and looked at Dream. "'Aint 'ad it for so long now, me thirst is rising so much now. I need some more, and I need lots."
Suddenly Biscuit struck Dreams arm, and blood flowed out quickly.
"Nice flow, I'll get out next time friend. When you come back as a cock-roach!" Shouted Biscuit, and leapt on Dream with the strength of a fully musceled adult.
He clawed at Dream, but mainly clashed on his scales. Dream pushed him off, but didn't want to strike back. "Come 'ere friend, a life for a life! Nice little friend, feed thirst of nice Biscuit!" The scentence amused Dream for a second, then he returned to dodging the strikes of this mad Dragon.
"I ain't mad friend, just very thristy and 'ungry I am! Come on friend, feed me." Biscuit lunged again, but missed Dream by an inch. Dream knew he would grow tired soon, and Biscuit wouldn't. He looked at the fairly thin crystal door, and charged at it. He put his back feet forward, and smashed through the clear sharp door. The crystal flew everywhere, dancing momentarily on the floor and spinnin to a halt. Dream lay in a heap of wings on the ground, and got up quickly. All the Dragons were running and screaming, as Biscuit ran out and dashed into the woods so quickly he was hardly noticed.
Dream saw a small slender head look out of the trees, and the blood thristy Biscuit licked his lips. "Your blood will one day be mine, when I've had help from my army!" Biscuit whispered, and dissapeared again.
True Dragon my foot. They'll rip him to shreds. Thought Dream, and walked calmly back to the cave. His Step-mother lay resting, and her eyes flashed red as he looked at them. Her tail thumped impatiently, and Shine sat by her side.
"Please Dream, you don't need to prove anything to us anymore!" Begged Shine, protecting her mother. "She's not one of us Shine, she's not a Plain Dragon! You saw her blue blood didn't you? You did I saw you gasp when you looked at her bleed!" Said Drea loudly, attracting his father into the cave.
"I'm is a Plain Dragon, your just looking for excuses to hit me you Scabby Dragon!" Shouted Scarlet, and smiled. When she saw Gorlock had listened to her, she frowned and suddenly got up. She backed against the wall, and started breathing heavily.
"Please no! I didn't mean it! A little fun name that's all....." Begged Scarlet, as Gorlock stood massive and angry against her.
"I thought you had more respect than that Scarlet, most females do. You are no substitute or comfort for what I've been through, I'm asking you to leave. Now." Demanded Gorlock, and pointed his wing to the cave door. Scarlet cowarded to the floor and said, "What about my Shine?" Gorlock looked at Shine, and thought no point to choose for her.
"You can choose Shine, I make no choices that end in rebelion." Gorlock nodded, and Shine began to think. She wanted her mother, but she was horrible to her half-brother, who she dearly loved and would do anything for. So she made her choice, she made it by which her heart followed. With no words, she stepped by Dream, and he put a comforting wing round her as she wept bitterly.
"If you cry, why don't you come with me? Your my daughter, the most important thing to me!" Cried Scarlet, holding her daughters claw. Shine shook it off, and cried harder into Dreams wing. Dream tried to comfort her, but the choice she made was hard and she had choosen quickly. "Go now, the child had choosen to stay with us." Gorlock said, and watched as Scarlet flew from the cave, and go straight ahead.
He watched with interest as she began to fly towards the flames, and was about to stop her, when she flew into them, and through them.
She came out burning the other side.
"Say goodbye to the barrier!" She screamed in agony, and fell into the woods. Suddenly the woods set alight like a fuse, lighting quickly and sending thick smoke into the sky. They all watched with horror as it burnt, and the screams of hiding Dragons and creatures.
Shine wept even more, as she knew now the other armies could easily invade and murder them all. "If I knew she would do that, I would have gone with her!" Shine cried, and hugged Dream tightly.
Dream stroked her head, and she looked up at him with tearful eyes.
"What'll we do now? What?" She asked, and looked towards her father.
"Battle, and Dreams old enough to take part. The other battles had been fairly weak, with the True Dragons only using the smallest amount of magic. It will be more dangerous, but we must take that risk." Gorlock paused as he saw Dream step towards him. " Shine will stay here, and I'll find a female to take care of her. Maybe Satin, you like her."
Shine smiled weakly, and dried her tears. Dream stood aghast, the battles he would be going in would be worse than the one he saw. He was fifteen, only just old enough to fight!
Stone entered the cave, his wings slightly spread.
"I'm fighting, and I'll fight till death." He said, and strided beside Dream. Dream looked down at his friend, plain and gray. Hornless and spikeless, unlike himself. But he shone out more than him, for his braveness and speaking his mind. He would survive, and Dream would help him no matter what.
They rushed out to the entrance, and saw the armies swam like bees or ants onto the grounds of Dragon Mountain. The mothers and infants flew up and away, and the battle was on. "Let's go."

Stone became suddenly eager to spill the blood of another breed, especcialy the True Dragons blood. They had cursed and basically killed his father, and now they would pay. Stone desired nothing more than to be the murderer of one of them, and kill many more after that. He wished he could wipe them all out, but True Dragons he suspected had storages of eggs down below True Mountain, in case that happened. The problem was, Stone knew that Dream didn't want to kill the True Dragons, for the sake of Ruby. He had no relationship with her though, so he could demolish and torture as many as he liked. Though Ruby would have a go at him, she wouldn't kill him. Well, probably not.
Dream sat looking out to the grounds of Dragon Mountain, as the green grass turned red, as the forest burned to ashes. The daylight helped the fire spread more, and soon the whole of their territory was burnt. Only Dragon Mountain was left standing, and no-one knew that this was such a weak point, the Griffins were bound to attack some time soon.
Dream was thinking about more than the battle, he was thinking about what would happen if Dragon Mountain was taken over, and they were caught and killed. Then what would happen to the Lands? The Griffins would destroy and suck the life and magic from everything, creating a huge desert that would eventually be lifeless, and the Griffins would move on across the ocean and keep on going. After many millenias, after many centuries and years, they would have made the entire world a desert.
That would be because Dream didn't survive.
So Dream had to, and to do that he would have to learn to fight well. He would do so in the battle over Dragon Mountain, over the lives of many Plain Dragons. Which he had little feeling for, for he didn't feel right in his birth place. He felt it wasn't his home, it wasn't his family. His family he felt, was across The Mouth and across The Rush, and into Enemco, that was where he felt his home lay. It laied beneath the shadow of the True Mountain, and into the mountains around it known as the Tall Networks. Many creatures who entered there got lost, and either died to lived off rats or weeds, drinking the green slime rivers that ran through them. Not many lived after their first meal or drink, because of the illnesess that lurked on everything that was there. Those who did live, were driven into insanity because of the life style. After insanity, they would probably leap into the green slime and drown. Or maybe let the rats eat them, and only one wasn't driven into that. He knew the way out, but because of his madness he wouldn't, and his eyes were too small to take in the bright lights. He was known as Shadow, he was a strange creature that you hardly say aything of. As he was dark, and in the darkness of the networks he was nothing, just another shadow that only existed when the light couldn't go through to the other side. He was a nobody, and everybody knew that.
Dream felt he could conquer the Tall Networks, and he could enter and come out alive and sane. He would live, and he would defeat the hidden enemy he didn't yet know. That was the problem, maybe the Serpents were the friends, and he could kill them off. If the True Dragons wer actually friends, and he thought the Serpents were the friends, he would prehaps kill many of the important True Dragons making them the enemy.
Dream knew fighting would be a hard choice, and if he could find the Blue Dragon again, he would understand more why he had known him. His horns were very much like the Blue Dragons, and his body shape and spikes. Dream would have his future revealed, if he could find the Blue Dragon again. Stone rushed up to Fortune, and grabbed his wing and pulled.
"Come on! We need to help! Our army is being killed easily!" Shouted Stone.
"What do you mean? We should all be equal!" Exclaimed Dream.
"No, the True Dragons and Serpent Dragons have teamed up!" Cried Stone, and Dream noticed two distinct groups. One so much larger than the other, you wouldn't believe it.
They crept quietly and quickly down, lifting their claws so not to make a sound. They were soon looking at a ground level view of the terrible battle.
Stone leaped into the crowd, shouting and screaming, and he was gone.
Dream stood motionless for a moment, he could back out and live a coward, and leave the training until another day. He made a quick decision, and leaped into the crowd as well.

He found himself being pushed down by unknown bodies, and hit and trampled on by Dragons he didn't know. He tried desperately to fidn an opponent, but all his tiem was spent of the ground. He had finally had enough, after being grazed down the back by a wing claw from a Dragon attempting to fly away.
He hit everyone away from him, Plain or not Plain. He stood up, and suddenly struck the nearest Dragon he could find that didn't look like a Plain. That Dragon fell to the ground, dust pilling up in its wake. He watched it bowl the others over, as it skidded to a halt. It was a Serpent, and lashed out with its extra long tail. Dream leapt on the beast, and tore at its chest angrily, suddenly feeling power charge and bolt through his body. He stopped to look at the face, and saw one he had seen twice in a life time.
"Dagger." He gasped, and she threw him off her suddenly.
Her colour had grown stunning, all different shades of red took her over, ad a stripe of black down her back.
"So, it's you Plain Dragon. We meet again." She hissed, and beat her wings gently. Dream got ready to attack, when she knocked him off his feet with a blow to the chest. He was winded, and struggled to get up. She hit him, again and again. Until blood dribbled down his body like a stream. "You fight like a child, I thought you had the skill to defeat me for a while." Smiled Dagger, as Dram stumbled up. With re-newed strength, he lashed out and tore open his belly. She screamed in agony, and fell to the ground. She closed her eyes, and felt her stomach, something long and wet and soft clung to her. She realized her intestines had been spilt, and she began to scream again.
Dream sneered, and kicked her head to the ground.
"Curse you." She gasped, and Dream smashed her head. It became flat and splattered, and it was his first revengence kill. He would never meet her again, well at least he hoped he wouldn't. He left her crunched body on the ground, and decided to find another Serpent to kill. Just as soon as he had recovered from his wounds, he was struck to the ground again. He looked up with dread, and saw no Plain or Serpent Dragon on him. It was a True Dragon.
In battle, they were your worst nightmare.
"Hello Plainy." Chuckled the Dragon. He used his strong tail to pin Dream to the ground, and closed his eyes tight. He started shivering and shuddering, his claws jerked violently. He mumbled words at super-sonic speed. Suddenly, he raised his hands paralell to each other, and they began to spark with blue electricity. They dashed about, and began to gather in a triangle at the exact center of the point between each hand. It got bigger, and began to shake and shudder with him. His eye lids began to flick open now and again, making a seeing gateway between the world he was visiting, and the one his body loomed in.
"Die." He said, and shot the ball at Dream. Dream got ready for immense pain and death, but all he felt was something flash through his body, and he was alive. Just as he opened his eyes, he saw a yellow field dissapear from around him. He shoved the now limp tail off his body, and looked at the True Dragon lying on the ground.
It was disgusting, all his skin and flesh had been rolled back, and only his bones and guts were seen. He stepped back, trying to think that it wasn't his fault that this True Dragon had been killed. He couldn't though, but he knew he didn't mean to. He looked at his claw tips, and a sudden spark of electricity glowed inside him. He pointed a claw at a Serpent Dragon, who was clawing at a weak but brave Plain Dragon. Anger boiled inside him, and he had to close his eyes tight to try and make it go away. Only it made it worse, and he saw before him Damaco, he had no shape or form. But when he looked deeper, he saw the grand shape of him. It flickered though, as Damaco was a god, and nothing but one. His massive wings spread gloriously, and his head raised high into the air by his neck. He stared down at the tiny speck below him, which was Dream.
Dream bowed low, to show that he had no right to stand tall in his presence.
"Bow low not young one, for you have a destiny I need to exist. What do you desire from my power?" He asked, in a voice that echoed not in the air, but from his mind. It was deep and boomed loudly, and Dream felt scared of this massive creature.
"I desire, the magic of electricity, to help me in battle oh mighty Damaco." Asked Dream, feeling his voice was far too small for the mighty Damaco.
"Think that not young one, for I hear all voices. No matter how big or small, evil or good, I listen to all. I give all a destiny in themselves, a destiny that may be linked to others. But always a destiny. I give you your magic." Damaco boomed heavily, and wrapped his wings around him. Dream saw that he wasn't one colour, but every scale had its own colour, he was every colour that there was to be. Even his wing membranes were different colours.
"Thankyou my lord." Graced Dream, and bowed. He watched from the ground, as Damaco produced a triangle.
"To understand, to control, to use!" Damaco boomed louder, nearly bursting Dreams ear drums. He shot the triangle at Dream, and Dream opened his eyes wide to the world.
He saw between his claws, he held the triangle.
Dream felt his claws begin to burn, and he shot a beam of sizzling electricity and sparks of fire at the Serpent. It suddenly hit him, and covered over his body in a force. He began to fall to the ground, as the beams crawled and burnt his entire body. His scales dropped off, and his skin and flesh were charred. The liquids of his body were dried, and a pile of black dust lay where he used to.
Dream had used magic, some that was supposed to be impossible for his kind. He was very soon shooting all the Serpents, but not killing a single True Dragon.
Soon the crowds cleared, and let him powerfully conduct his magic. Soon only the Trues and one Serpent were left standing. The one Serpent, was Kroth.
"Now Kroth, you shall die. Painfully you shall die as well." Breathed Kroth, burnign up his magic and power. Kroth stood his ground, firm and strong. His long body twisting and turning, the spikes and fins of his body gloriously showing them selves.
"Shoot if you must, but it is to no use. I asorb and use back, and you old enemy, have no prtection and asorbence." Kroth said calmly, and Dream pushed back his new found magic.
"You hold no power Kroth, you lie." Scoffed Dream, spitting on the ground.
"I hold power you would cringe to see at work, and with your power there is no limit. I hold magic dragon, I hold magic." Kroth sneered, and licked his lips delicately.
"Your bluffing! Use the magic on the Trues behind you then!" Shouted Dream expecting Kroth to back away.
"Very well, I call one!" He called the group behind him, and a small child bent at his feet. "I answer to your call master." Begged the little one, barely a year old. Dream didn't know that Kroth chose infants to use.
"I call it off! Don't kill him!" Called Dream, and Kroth smiled at him. Dream didn't care whether Kroth held powers, as long as he didn't kill the infant.
"I feel no pity for this one, his mother and father are dead and he is a runt." Sneered Kroth, and kicked the infant to the ground. "A runt indeed, but a faithful runt."
The small infant rose, tears flooding into his eyes. "Do what you wish master." He cried, wiping the tears with his wings. With a sudden flash of power, the whole of the Dragons in the area were blinded for a moment. Then, when the dust and clouds of smoke had cleared, they looked for the result.
On the ground, where the infant had knelt, there was nothing. Nothing but, a small drop of blood and a feather.
"I have teleported this infant, to the Canyon of...." Kroth paused, and looked back to the cowering True Dragons. "Them."
A True Dragon hater stepped forward, and shouted bravely, "Griffins! Griffins you stupid poser!" Dream tried to push him back, but the loyal warrior leapt at Kroth, and was burnt to a cinder before he reached him.
Smoke leaked from Kroths nostrils, and Kroth simply blew smoke rings from them. He smiled at Dream, and clenched his teeth.
"That is the simplest of them young Dragon, I dare not show them to your age. You would die of fear and gore." Kroth paused, and looked at some of the fainted True Dragons.
"I hold possession of this army, they gave me all their powers. They still have theirs of course, but I am most powerful now. With this type of magic I alone possess, I could easily kill the keep of knowledge. After that, conquer his silly Gormongo and stroll through the Tall Networks. Shadow would be my guide, and fate would be my allaby!"
Kroth raised his multi coloured wings, and closed his eyes tightly. He began to search for Damaco, and demanded the powers he needed.
"Damaco! I command the power to breath flames!" Shouted Kroth, he was not a loyal speck, he was a demanding figure.
"Flaming is a power which you have never used, you could torch yourself. You have only used electricity to burn so far." Damaco said, as if he was talking to a lower scum.
"I don't care! My knowledge stretches far beyond even yours! Give me flames!" Shouted Kroth, and Damaco sighed heavily.
"Very well." Damaco boomed, and made the triangle of power and magic.
"To understand, control and use!" He called, and shot the triangle at Kroth.
Kroth awoke with fire in his blood, burning and calling for him to use it. He opened his slender jaws wide open, and breath the fire on the un-suspecting crowd of Dragons. He narrowly missed Dream, who tried to protect the now loyal to him army.
Suddenly a rebelion began against him, as quick as they had followed him.
"He uses magic! He must be a spy!" Called one, from within the rushing crowd.
"Kill him! Shred him!" Called another, and the whole army jumped against him. Dream used his wings quickly, and flew up and high. Like a flock of birds below him, they came as well. He felt himself run out of air, as it got thinner and harder to breath. He was flying so fast, he heard the wind whistling past his ear holes. His lips began to draw back, and his entire body flattened out to gain speed. Suddenly, he got hotter and hotter, and he had to stop. He hovered above a cloud, and stuck his head through the white fluffy floating thing. Down below he saw the searching armies, flying above the burning remains of their territory. Somewhere his father was fighting, and was trying to keep the army from killing his son. Somewhere down below, was a few believers. He sighed, and used as little strength to move as he could. He heared his steady wing beat, one, two, one, two. Then he heard another pattern behind him, and heavy breaths which he did not breath. He slowly turned, and saw another shape hovering behind him.
He could tell by the smooth slender shape it was a young female, just below his age. She had decorations though, like himself.
Is there another gifted one like me? He asked himself in his mind.
The young female smiled, and he admired her. Her colour was red, deep red, not scarlet though. She had rings of red, green and yellow on her. Her long neck was impressive, and her wings were very large. She had four legs, and horns that weren't quite grown.
"Hello, my name's Ruth." She said quietly, her wings overcome by her voice. That was what was strange about her, she spoke as softly and as invisible as the wind, but it dominated all other aspects of her. Her eyes glittered beautifully, as if they were diamonds with the gift of seeing. Dream marvelled at her graceful body. She was so stunning, he felt like fainting.
"I'm afraid your in trouble, but I can help you. I'm a True Dragon, and I have a message from Damaco." She said, and Dream realized why she had such beauty.
"Go ahead Ruth, I'm listening." Said Dream, not taking his eyes off her face. She blinked shyly, and began to say the words that were obviously the truth.
"Your destiny is to be commenced soon, your journey that Stone started for you long ago is to be finished. Seek knowledge and truth, and you shall find the enemy and defeat it. Fear not as my eyes are always on you young one." As she said it, another life seemed to take over her body. Her voice changed too deep and became barratone, it boomed instead of whispered.
"I can use magic, it is in my power!" Dream suddenly said, and Ruth shook her head.
"No plain has magic, try not to lie. I thought you were honest with a destiny like that." She said. Dream closed his eyes, and began the journey to Damacos world of magic and power.
He rolled before his feet, and stood low and small. Dream looked up at Damaco, but strangely Damaco didn't seem to look down on him. They looked equal from different hights.
"I only desire magic to show her I do not lie, only for that sake lord. I also want to know why you couldn't tell me yourself." Dream asked, quietly.
"I will give you the magic, and I will give you the answer. You can call me, and come into my home with a welcome. Sadly though, millions of centuries ago, I was denied access to the material world. So I created my own in the world of your minds. I roam freely here, and am not restricted." Damaco boomed, spreading his wings even further. He rattled his spines, and breath a multi-coloured flame into the blueness and hazeness of the his world. Webs of fire and magic fizzed around him, excited and ready to be taken.
Damaco sent no triangle of the three magic rules to him, and just sent him back to his world. Dream saw Ruth was standig there, smiling.
"What power have you summoned from him then? The magic to lie?!" She laughed heartily. "He gave me no triangle, I don't know what power...." Dream looked at his claws, and saw no spark of magic dance from them.
"How do you know we use triangles?" She asked. "You must of saw us in battles using them." "To understand, control and use." Dream said quickly, and she stared in disbelief at him. "Without Damaco, knowing that is impossible!" She gasped, flapping back a bit.
Dream looked down, and saw the armies descending. He sighed, and looked back at Ruth. He saw her eyes beg for him to speak words, as she was speechless.
"Why are you here? Why aren't you in Enemco with your mother?" Asked Dream, as the question hit his mind. She sighed heavily, and with magic rested herself on the cloud. Dream had to keep hovering, he would fall if he sat on the cloud.
"Well, I have no taste for blood. I do not want to kill lives that are still to be lived to the full, I am against war and want no part in it. I was told though, before I left Enemco, that I was to have my destiny shown and lived partly in the Plain Dragon Lands." Ruth paused and looked at Dreams smiling face. " So I snuk away with them, hiding behind my fathers back. When we got here, I hid for days and nights, living off the food your nature provides. I prefer Unicorns to deer but this is very natural here. Magic is none, not even a glimmer shines out. I then was told to give the message to golden young Dragon, and to live with him."
Dream looked at her, and thanked Damaco for telling her to stay with him.
"Your injured, and flying makes it worse. We'll have to go now." Said Ruth, and Dream began to lead the way back to his cave. The army of Plains were fighting to keep the others away from it, and they didn't see Ruth and Dream enter an empty cave.
"I'm afraid the food isn't up to Enemco standerds, but it's all we can get now the wood's burnt to a pile of ashes." Sighed Dream, and Ruth just shrugged. She was very interested in the style of the caves, plain and simple. Like the breed. She thought.
Dream was tired, and Ruth was right, he was bleeding. He licked the wounds until they stopped, or the flow was only gentle and trickled. He felt faint, and fell quite quickly to sleep. As he drifted quietly off, he felt a gentle claw stroking her scaly body. A gentle wing flopped over him, and he heard her lay on the ground beside him. He knew that they didn't yet feel love, they only felt care between them.

Dream woke comfortable and warm, he no longer felt to wing though, he no longer felt Ruth was there. He was worried, and got up quickly, and sighed when he saw she had rolled over and was lying on her massive wings. He looked out of the cave enterence, and saw that night had fallen over them. The army was back in the field, and scattered around.
He hid, as a small Ochre Dragon rushed past him, and into the cave next door. He heard a gentle crying, and wings expanding themselves.
"Oh father, I can't even find his body!" Cried the very feminine voice.
"Don't worry Shine, he'll turn up. If he doesn't you can bite my tail." He heard another voice. Dream realized they were next door to his fathers cave, and were listening to them worrying. Dream wanted to walk in and hug them, but they would never accept a True Dragon into their cave. After all they had done to their army, their herd. Thier family and friends, all dead or cursed like Stone father was. Destined to die horribly and slowly.
"You must be strong Shine, he was brave and fought for us." Gorlock comforted.
"He was special though, in a very important way! He had a destiny that Damaco needs!" She cried, sobbing heavily.
There was a silence, and nobody spoke. Dream wanted to comfort them, and thought of the perfect way how. If he could conduct it though, he was still wondering. He closed his eyes, and was going to see Damaco. It was like visiting a friend, a very old and trusted friend.
"I know what you want young one, to project yourself." Damaco boomed.
"Yes lord, and why did you give me no power last time?" Asked Dream.
"I gave you a power, it was the power of patience. You would have leapt into love too quickly, now let me give you the triangle of magic you need." Damaco concentrated the triangle, and said his usual words. Dream zipped back, and held the golden trangle delacately between his claws. He closed put his claws on the wall, and thought of the pictures and words he wanted them to see. He thought it worked, and this is what they saw.....
"Father, sister."
"Oh my gosh! Magic!" Gasped Gorlock, and pulled Shine away from the wall. They saw before them a golden shape, it turned slowly but surely into a young strange Dragon.
"Dream!" Cried Shine, and started to cry with her heart. She reached out, and gingerly touched the image. It burnt her sharply, and she pulled back.
"I am alive, and Damaco is sending this. I will be away for some time, maybe even years. I promise this though, I will come back to you. I must go now." The shape suddenly closed, and the bare empty wall of the cave was there again. Shine fainted, and Gorlock had to sit down. Dream hoped it had come out alright, and looked back at the sleeping Ruth. He felt love being held back from his feelings, it was not the right time. He had to be patient.
Ruth began to stir, and her eyes opened gently, their magic side gleaming and shinning. She sat herself upright, and stretched her large wings. She beat her tail gently on the floor, and Dream just went and sat by her. They had nothing much to do, except wait for the next battle to come.
Dream wondered if she felt uncomfortable with him, with another kind. It didn't show if she did, it looked as if she was right at home. Then Dream remembered something he had wanted to ask her.
"Do you know anyone called Ruby?" He asked.
Ruth looked at him.
"White, red eyes, no fore arms?" She replied.
"Yeah, that's her. Is she alright?" Asked Dream, hoping for the best.
Ruth sighed, she didn't know that he knew her. Ruth decided to give him the straight plain answer, no white lies. She braced herself for him to suddenly release his anger suddenly, and she said it. "They have her, they took her away the night I met her. It's a real shame, I'm sorry Dream." Said Ruth, starting to put a wing round him.
"They have her? They have her?! She's probably dead by now! We have to get her!" Shouted Dream, and started running for the entrance. Ruth pulled him back strongly, she wasn't strong enough though. As he started flying away, she called upon the one magic that would bring him back. It was stronger than the rest, and she knew it well enough.
When he turned to look back at her, Dream saw her pleading eyes, not wanting him to go. He sighed and shouted, "Come with me!"
"I can't, I can't go back there. Not until your destiny has been completed." Ruth said sadly, folding her wings back. Dream hesitated, and looked out to the distant horizen waiting for him. It could wait more, and he flew back to Ruth. She smiled, as he flopped down with a sigh onto the floor. "Thankyou Dream." She said, and he grunted. "It takes a lot to pull yourself away from someone you care about."
Dream just grunted again, he was too mixed up in his mind to care. He was thinking about Ruby, being killed and ripped apart by the creatures she mostly feared. That was when he remembered that the Griffins were getting very leathel, and might attack any month, any week, any day, any hour, any minute. Any second. He looked out to the sky, filled with stars and a Dragons Moon. Dragus was watching carefully, something would happen and he didn't know quite what. As Dream squinted, he saw a massive black blob moving over the moon, and soon bits began to break off it. Ignoring Ruths words, he crawled on his belly closer to the entrance. He saw distinct wings flapping, and tails lashing behind them. Suddenly a horrible and terrorfying screech rang out, and then millions behind them. Ruth pushed herself against the back of the cave, and began gasping and heaving her chest.
"It's them! They're coming for us! We must hide!" Ruth screamed, and ducked into the darkness. Dream had little fear of them, he had never seen or imagened them. Now looking at them, he was caught in their beastly bodies. Half lion, half eagle. They were three times the size of the largest Dragon, and a thousand times as strong. Through the size came strength, and through strength came power and through too much power came cruelness. They were always sucking up magic like leaches suck blood, they were addicted to it like a drug. To give themselves excersize, they killed and tortured creatures of any size of brain or body. They were insane and heartless, they ripped apart slowly infants and crushed eggs. They had no backbone, and usually depended on each other. Alone they were strong, but they had no sense of coordination. In those cases, they were outwitted and their prey escaped easily. Dream watched as they landed at the base of Dragon Mountain, roaring and screeching. They scratched and bit at each other with their beaks and talons, and beat each other with their feathery wings.They began to fly and climb up the mountain, causing avalanches. Some Dragons flew, but were quickly caught and torn apart. Others tried to hide, but their caves were smashed and were killed or suffocated slowly by the cave ins. Dream and Ruth were near the top, and had longer to escape. Despite their high chances, Ruth wouldn't move an inch. She was gasping, her eyes were wide and only blinked when she became desprate to. She heard the crys and pleas of the other Dragons, all begging to die quickly rather than die slowly and painfully. Their pleas were of no use, and they all died horribly. Dream pulled and tugged at her, but she shot him back with weak fearful magic. Dream tried and tried, but no matter what she wouldn't budge. Dream heard the screams from his half sister, and the shouting of his father. He watched them fly with swiftness away, North from Dragon Mountain. Shine soon gave up, and Gorlock carried her in his fore arms. Dream watched them carefully, so when he needed to see them again, he knew where they were. When they were out of sight though, they could go anywhere.
Dream wished he could find them again, someday and somehow. Now they only had little time to get out and away, they had to, or else they would be killed.
"Ruth we have to go! Their coming quickly and with hunger!" Cried Dream desperately, his fear growing more and more.
"Come on or we're going to be torn to shreds!!" Dream suddenly realized there was a Griffins sitting underneath them. Dream ran into the shadows, and made no moves what so ever. Ruth didn't move from her seat on the light, clear for anyone to see.
Dream called to her, and kept on saying the word Griffins loudly. She didn't go though, and Dream sat tight. He heard the screams from below that sent shivers up his spine, and mad fear glowed over his body and drove his mind into spinning fits. He began hearing voices, voices he knew but couldn't place. They shouted at him, and screamed and screamed. They merged with the sounds of the dying infants below, and a splat of blood on the cave entrance woke him from it. Suddenly a massive blue eagle head came into his sight. It looked hard and with hunger of blood at Ruth, seeing magic in her, it no longer desired to kill with claws. It wanted to kill with its mind, drain all her life and magic from her. Dream didn't know how to push it away, his puny magic wouldn't even tickle it. Suddenly there was a crash, and rocks and chunks of the ceiling began to fall from above. Above them the whole top moved, and the most deafning noise rang out as the whole mountain began to collapse. Still the Griffin didn't see him, and grabbed for Ruth. She froze in fear, as she was lifted up and into the air by the blood thirsty Griffin. Dream couldn't let her go, and grabbed her tail and climbed onto her back.
"I'm here Ruth, no need to worry." He comforted her, and she moved her head towards him. The grip on her tightened, and she nearly threw up as they suddenly descended to the base.
All that was left of the glorious mountain, was the stone base. The rest had crumbled and a giant pile of jagged boulders and dust lay scattered about. Blood was everywhere, bodies and bones were about. Dream tried not to look at them, but the shere disgusting brutality of them made him want to see more. Ruth just closed her eyes, and began to pray. Dream wrapped his shinning wings around her, as she began to cry. All the Griffins had finished their terrorible raid, and started flying South again back to their home, Leinto. It was a remote desert land that was boiling with power and magic, ready to be picked and used. The Griffins ate little but magic, it was their life food. If they had no magic, they would shrivel into the two things they used to be. A lion and an eagle, the two would kill each other, and death would be to them.
Dream felt Ruths pulse become faster as the Griffin squeezed her and delved into her mind with its power, roaring and putting thoughts into her head that would knock her out. Her head suddenly became limp, and so did Dreams. The Griffin suddenly swooped sideways and joined the rest of their group, blood on their beaks and talons. Blood was also laying and dripping on their feathers and fur, they licked it off each other, or caused their own to run. Dream felt something evil and painful begin to rip his mind and thoughts out, he screamed and sturggled in his sleep. Ruth just gave in, and let her deep secrets and dreams come to the surface.
They didn't awake, until their terrible journey was over.

In a chamber in the wall of the Canyon of Griffins, that was so big you had to fly to get around quickly, there was a stone seat. In the stone seat, sat the biggest and cruelest Griffin there was. His lion half was powerful and shone with gloss. His eagle half was blue with red chest feathers, his wings powerful and large. His talons were stained red from the blood, and all around him blood was scattered. His beak was sharp and could rip and tear flesh and amour with no difficulty, his eyes were keen and could see perfectly in any conditions. His cat like ears were finely feathered, and could hear the slightest noise. His brain was wise and full, and worked all day and even at night. He knew basically everything, what didn't show though, was that he was just as mad as the others. Even more mad in fact then them, so he was the most powerful and most bowed to. One dissagreement with him, and you were killed on the spot. Younger Griffins were not mad at that stage, but angry and held very much a strong bond with their mothers or fathers. Even though they hardly saw them, only at meal times and during sleep did they see them. Being left to fend for themselves after four weeks was tough on them, but it made them better fighters and witstand more than they would. Not many actually survived, but it meant that only the worthy ones of living got to live.
The massive Griffin leader, had a name of course, but only the higher of his company could call him by it. The rest just called him Leader, they didn't fear the name for they knew it meant good to them. Well sometimes it did, and sometimes it didn't. It depended on how good and loyal you were to him, if you were not then nobody but the one knew what happened in their conversations. The more higher Griffins as I told you, called him by his name. His name was something to be jealous of, for only one female had thought of it. You were not allowed to copy his name, that would end up in being left in the pits and forgotten. The pits were far too deep to fly out of, and you would probably be knocked out by smashing on the ground when you were thrown in. Some thought it wasn't a very deep pit, but a bottomless pit and you just kept on falling. You fell and fell until you died of thirst or hunger, or maybe age if you had both those elements.
To those who betrayed and sneaked round the great Griffin, his name was feared so deeply that they moved the conversations they had around his name.
Demonus.
His mother had called him that, because that was what he was. Griffins never said things like, "I killed a dozen dragons today." They said, "We killed a dozen dragons today." They thought themselves as two different creatures. His mother thought he was a demon, a hellish creature. So, she thought of two different things that he might say in his life. 'Demon us.' Meaning we are a demon put together. It was a name many mothers wished to copy, to make their son or daughter feared of. One female had sort of copied it, but for her daughter. She had called her Demona, which was different and allowed. That female Griffin became Demonuses favorite, and gave her everything. Also he liked her to the aspect that she was his daughter. Demonas mother was called Ink, as her feathers were of a rich inky blue colour, and her lion half was darker than anyone elses.
Demonus growled deeply, as another Griffin flew proudly into the chamber. His feathers were white with gold chest feathers. His lion half was white, which made him special above others. Demonus planned to kill him, if ever his subjects admired this one more than himself. Demonus was jealous and he couldn't help that, and killing him would take away the pain of it. This was a perfect time, but was it the perfect situation....
"Demonus!" Called the Griffin, standing before his throne.
Demonus looked down slowly, glaring at the stunning Griffin who called him so rudely and without respect.
"Yes Treker?" Replied Demonus, ruffling his feathers and lashing his lions tail.
"We have been thinking, nobody else knows this Demonus, we have planned how to catch all the dragons at their weakest point. It means a lot of hard work and not so much killing but it all pays off in the end...." Treker said in a rush, wanting to exlpain it all in a second.
"Slow down! We can't understand what you're saying!" Shouted Demonus, trying to keep his temper down.
"Yes Demonus, easily. We need to catch all the dragons, especcialy True Dragons, and use them to gather all the magic and power there is. As they are very much quick and quite intelligent, they will be useful and not working means death. After we have control and all we want, we kill them all. Thing is, they had small and agile, meaning that they will be so hard to catch we won't be able to catch them all." Treker looked up at Demonus, who was looking on with evil interest at him. "So we think if we all put our powers together into a sphere, which might take a long time, we could use it to destroy their minds and intelligence and they can then have new thoughts put into their minds."
Treker looked with a very proud face up to Demonus, who didn't look impressed. He looked at the glistening feathers of Treker, and wanted to spit on them with his acid flem.
"It's too complicated, we need something simple. Doing that could take years, and their weak point of the war would be long over. Just sending out Griffin armies will do, and after we have control, no amount of dragons could stop us." Demonus said sharply, and could see the look of depression on Trekers eagle head.
"Demonus, we need to take the idea now! Leaving it to chance could be even worse!" Cried out Treker suddenly, and wished he hadn't. Demonus didn't look happy, as he raised himself from his throne. He growled, and snapped viciously. He spread his magnificent blue wings, and raised on his lion back legs. "Are you dissagreeing with us Treker? Are you going against us like a trator!" He roared, Treker begged down onto his knees, begging and praying to anything or one. He felt the anger inside Demonus grow, as did that feeling of thanking. For some reason he felt that blurting out things was not the only reason he was going to be punished.
"We can't have any more trators! Not even in the pits!" Roared Demonus, and slashed out with his talon. He struck through Trekers golden and white feathers, and red blood leaked over them. The claw marks were deadly all ready, but would take a long time to let him die. Demonus struck at the wings he so greatly wanted, and ripped them clean off with one swipe.
"No!!! Please Demonus.....no!!" Screamed Treker, as the pain grew more and more, and the blood flowed from him onto the floor. The ripping of flesh and the crushing of bones sent him into pain so terrible he had no screams to try and rid it. Treker felt pain, but then showed no emotion. His life was over, and he would be left to bleed to death. He watched the blurred vision of Demonus sit on his throne, and let the blood drip slowly and in torture to the floor. As Demonus watched Treker slowly die, he heard words like his name being whispered.
"Demonyou......Demonyou....die." He mumbled so quietly on Demonuses acute ears could hear them. He cocked his head slightly, and his wise old brain began to think.
"Demon you die?" He leant over Trekers body, above his head. Trekers tried to bite him, but they only clashed beaks. With punishment, Demonus plucked him of his eyes. Treker felt them leave, but did not show his agony. That would very much please Demonus, very much.
"Our golden feathers, our white fur, our soft wings....." Treker sighed, he was a softy of a Griffin, no other was as less blood thirsty as him. He avoided fights and squabbles, he protected the ones who were being picked on. For that he was called half lion, all chicken. It was an insult he tried to ignore, but couldn't. Now Demonus had killed him off, and the body would be thrown away, with no cereormony for goodbyes. His mother would only be allowed to see his body from a distance, she would not be told who the killer was. For Trekers mother was a fighter.
Demonus smiled, as the blood stopped pumping and the beak stopped taking in precious air. The chest stopped heaving, and the eyelids stopped trying to clean eyes that weren't there. But as Demonus looked at the eyes that he was going to crush in his talons, he saw them look at him, in a way that meant revenge would be upon him. By some other assasin of no feathers or fur, but of scales. Of no bird or mammal, a reptile. He closed his talon, and threw the remains on the blood stained walls. He shuffled uncomfortably, and called for a follower. A dull brown Griffin walked into the chamber, and flew over to him. He had nothing for Demonus to be jealous of, so killing this one would mean the loss of a good Griffin who was loyal.
"Take this body away, and throw him where nobody can find or see him. Or get to him." Sneered Demonus, and turned his head away. His neck muscels were powerful, he could lift two dragons easily. The brown Griffin bowed, and said nothing. He lifted the body, and flew out. Demonus smiled then, he was no longer in the company of Treker. A shiver ran up him as he thought of murder, but he had a reason. No matter how big or small, he had a reason. That reason was enough to get him off murder......or was it?
He shook his head, and rested it on his claws. He couldn't be murdered or killed, he was far too powerful. In fact, he would demonstrate it soon enough. He needed to plan the attack of Enemco first, the demonstrations could wait. He would call his head companies, so he sent out a lion and an eagle tied together, he kept them by his throne. They ran, and they knew by his power who to run to.
So he waited for a while, then he moved silently but with power to the room where they planned suck attacks. Like the one on Dragon Mountain, which had proved a hundred percent succesful.

Once again Demonus was the highest, and he had to look down on the others. The brown Griffin was there, his name was Revenge. Then there was a purple Griffin, with royal blue chest feathers, his name was Scrap. Also there was Chrysalis, she was a smooth black, with even black fur. Demonus didn't like black, so he didn't want to kill Chrysalis. Anyway, he feared him slightly, she said little and was seen little. She showed no signs of being a trator, she was always with his plans. For some reason though, he had to fear her a little, just a little. When the two were alone, he feared him more, for Chrysalis was powerful. Also, he was bulky and strong, with a beak that shattered boulders and talon and claws that could rip into strips any creature she wanted. At night, she could move anywhere, and any time she wanted. She wasn't seen to go to rest in the Canyon, with the other high companies. She flew further away, into the shadows at the base of the Canyon.
There were two others there, they were identicle twins. They were Death and Blood, their mother had been very simple with their names. They were both a dark and drab brown and gray, to tell them apart their mother had made a gash on Bloods chest, giving him red chest feathers. Death had no chest feathers, he was the dullest. He had plenty of good ideas though, gory and war like. Just how they liked them, one was missing from the group though. Demonus knew who and why. Treker.
Also Revenge knew who and why, and all the rest knew who was missing. Demonus got ready for a speech, with impressiveness and reason.
"Treker as you know, is not here. He wanted our plans to take over the Mystic lands to take longer, and to use all our powers to make some sort of sphere. He was stupid too, as he knew magic and power came in triangles. To understand, control and use! So out of that evidence, we knew he was a trator. He persisted that our plans were not to go ahead." Growled Demonus, scratching his claws on his stone throne. The others looked at each other, then at Demonus. "So, by our talons and beak, he is dead and will no longer stop us!"
The whole group roared with triumph, and stood up and flapped their wings. Demonus calmed them down, and smiled wickedly.
"So, our group of discusion is down to six. No longer are we seven, but no matter. In relaity though, we are twelve! We are twelve and we are strong, and with our thousands and thousands of others, doubled and doubled, we can easily overcome the stupid control of dragons!" Shouted Demonus with gravity. "Death to the dragons!"
Once they had calmed down again though, from shouting and cheering, the planning and work really begun. They talked among themselves for a while, gathering ideas. Demonus listened to them, and made them his if they were good enough. Chrysalises mouth moved a couple of times, then he sat and listened as well. He also stared at Demonus, who felt uncomfortable and looked down and stared. Chrysalis looked away, but Demonus felt he wanted to, not because he couldn't. Finally they came to an agreement, which Demonus had listened to.
"Our plan has already been worked out, we worked it out while we was telling you about that trator Treker." Smiled Demonus, and saw a weak grin on Chrysalises face. Demonus coughed slightly and carried on. "We think the best plans are the simplest ones, so this is ours. We charge ourselves full of magic and power, and scan the lands quickly and easily searching, enslaving or killing dragons. When we are done, bring them back and beat them until they are too scared to answer back. Then drain the powered dragons of their magic, and store it somewhere. After that we make them go out and collect more, and then we kill them. Simple and cunning."
The other Griffins sighed, they had hoped for some sort of lifting from their status. It seemed whatever good idea they thought of, Demonus thought of it first. They suddenly remembered their minds weren't safe even from Demonus, so they thought how cunning he was.
"Good. Now, what was your plan?" He asked inoccently, they all shrugged.
"Same as yours." Said Revenge.
"Ahh, great minds think alike." Smiled Demonus, trying to get on their good side. Savage as he was, he was cunning and knew how to get his followers to follow even more. He had never shown how powerful he really was, his true anger and want to kill. All who trusted and thought they knew him, knew nothing at all about him. Not even his daughter or mate knew hardly anything about him. He was secretive and wouldn't let anyone go find his secrets out. The plans were done, he would kill anyone who dissagreed.
"So, do you think your plans need adjusting at all? Slight movements?" Asked Blood quietly, and Demonus looked at him hard. Blood tried to look away, but the devilish eyes pulled him back. His brother Death had no idea that just a simple nudge would tear Blood away.
Demonus suddenly thought that maybe a little changes would be better, and he let his gaze rest. He looked at the others, and stood on his back legs.
"My brothers of war! Overnight I want you to think about our plans, and I will not mind any changes. As long as you don't change the whole plan cunningly, that will result in something painful." He rumbled, and then he flew out of the war chamber, and to his home chamber. The group of Griffins looked at each other, flicking their ears in a sign of curiousity.
"Since when has Demonus allowed changes to his plans? We thought he was too self proud." Said Death, stretching his legs.
"Yeah well, you didn't see him when he first became our ruler. We like him now, we really do. We miss the blood thirsty old one though, wanting to suck magic now and in the present! Grabbing and draining all the dragons will take ages, and we want more magic now." Grumbled Revenge. "Our curses and power is running out, we couldn't even use a simple magic to skin a prisoner!" "Now that is low, we should go get some of them now. We're thirsty!" Growled Death, and looked at his brother. "Come on Blood, it won't hurt them if they don't know."
"We're not in, if we were to be be caught our death would be slow and painful. Don't count us in, anyway, we had a fresh suck at that Dragon Mountain place." Sighed Blood, stroking his stained breast feathers.
"Fine, Chrysalis your with us aren't you?" Asked Death, looking at the black Griffin.
Chrysalis said nothing, but just nodded her head. Scrap, who had hardly said or done anything, nodded too. Death always thought that Chrysalis was made up of loads of different colours, which made her look black. But when he looked at her, each tiny individual hair on each feather, or each strand of fur was pure black. She was the most beautifullest creature in the chamber, and Death wished to anybody that she would someday be his mate.
"When should we go? Tomorrow night maybe?" Asked Revenge, licking his static beak.
"No, tonight. When he leasts expects it. We have to pass his home chamber, so when we do go pass push that thought out of your mind. He could be reading." Whispered Revenge.
They all nodded, except Blood. He flew away and through a tunnel to his chamber. He slept uncomfortably, for one he usually had Death by his side. For the second reason, he felt something was going to happen that was not good.

The other four were well on their way to where the dragons were being kept, their screams of agony and fear echoed through the darkness.
"I can't wait to taste the True Dragons, I know some were brought from the fields around the place." Said Scrap, drooling.
They paced quickly and quietly along, senseing which way the prisoners were. They kept their ears down, to lock out the louder noises and words that they heard. Revenge was very much claustrophobic, and was finding it hard to keep himself with the world. He felt the walls getting slightly tighter on his drab brown wings and his body. Chrysalis walked comfortably beside Scrap, they seemed to make a perfect couple. Death felt jealousy wrench his mind, and his name would soon become of Scrap. He would kill him when they were alone, and leave him for the dragons to eat. Then Demonus would think he was so weak that even the dragons could kill him.
Chrysalis turned to look at Death, and her eyes shone in the darkness. Her body blended perfectly well in with the dark tunnel, which made her so stunning he would have to make sure Scrap didn't get in their way.
"Scrap, let's drain together quietly, away from them so we can have a whole load to ourselves."
Suggested Death, who sounded very convincing. Scrap looked at him, and his mouth did not move but the way the drool suddenly flowed out like a water fall.
"Yes, don't tell them or let it out, you can't even tell Chrysalis." Said Death, knowing it would all go well.
"I won't, it'll be just us." Scrap agreed, and they hurried along ahead of the others.

Dream was in a dark dry, sandy and rocky space. No water flowed and no food was there. His head spun like a top, and all he knew was that he was alive. He lifted himself up groggily, and saw to his joy that Ruth was with him. They hugged each other in a mess of wings, and looked around. They felt no joy then, as a force field of magic was the only look out to the other prisoners. Dream got up and slung her tail at the magic suddenly, in a blast of anger. He felt a sudden shock, as he tail bounced off and he was flung across the cell.
"Maybe you should keep it locked up a little more Dream." Laughed Ruth, helping him off the ground. He laughed as well, then found there was nothing funny about the situation they were in. "Fire magic might push it down!" Said Dream, wanting to show off his powers to Ruth. If she could do it then so could he, and they would be pulled tighter together.
"Your a Plain Dragon, you don't posses the power!" Sighed Ruth, and flopped onto the floor. Dream smiled, and pricked his ears.
"Can't I?" He grinned, and made the burning sensation heat up inside him. He felt the fire climbing up his throat, and washing around his mouth. Unlike the other Plain Dragons mouths, his was tough and not pink and soft. It could stand the heat.
He watched the power triangle form in front of him, and he knew it was ready. He opened his mouth suddenly and let the flame rip through the air and fly through the film of magic. He nearly threw up at the after taste, but was satisfied he had done something.
Ruth sat aghast at a magical act performed by a magic stripped creature. She felt in company of something strange, they were not meant to do that! They were like all the other plain animals, deer and rabbits, wolves and eagles! They were not like unicorns and pegasuses, like them and phoenixes!
She backed away slightly, feeling she had been tricked by the magic and nature of things. "How, how did you do that?" She asked quietly, and Dream was about to explain the incident at the battle..... when he heard foot steps.
He saw the other prisoners get up and look down the corridor, and suddenly scatter to the back. The corridor was so wide that you could fit four of the biggest and most powerful True Dragons tail to tail from one side to the other.
Roaring and screeching came from the passage ways, and giant Griffins came bounding down. they crouched and looked in each one, to inspect the number of them. Dream and Ruth were in a chamber with a ceiling so high up even jumping couldn't reach it. Flight would take a little while, obviously it was so the Griffins could get in. Ruth froze again, but soon moved when she remembered the last time.
Dream saw a white shape suddenly glide towards the front of the cell opposite, he tried to look at it, but the constant shaking of ground and passing Griffins blocked his view. When they had all passed, he saw the most pleasing but distressing sight before his eyes.
It was Ruby.
She starting hollering and calling to him, beating her wings against the magic film. She growled and began to slash at it, getting shocks of magic. She froze it over with her ice magic, and smashed it again it hope to smash the film. But throughout her desperate trying, she stayed away from Dream. Ruby spread her wings out, and fell to the ground on her knees. She began to cry icy tears, which meant only pain and death was to come.
The Death though, was to go to Dream.
Two Griffins looked in at the cell Dream was in, their eyes catching every movement. Dream would fight back, since they didn't expect him to. They paused for a while, eyeing up them. If they were of no magic what use could they be? Sadly they spotted the magic in Ruby, and entered through the film, like walking through a thick liquid wall.
Dream saw other Griffins pass into Rubys cell, but their Griffins got in the way.
Ruth screamed, and covered her wings over herself. Dream put his wings over her as well, and looked with terror up at the mighty beasts. They roared and growled, clashing their beaks. One was cut by the other talons, and bucket-fulls of blood leaked onto the floor.
"Stupid beast." Mumbled one, licking his wounds.
"What did you say Death?" Asked the other, looking at him.
"Nothing, we said they were stupid beasts." Coughed the one called Death.
We? Why did he call himself we? Thought Dream, puzzling over it. It was one beast, so why call itself too. Dream studied with sudden obliviousy of what was happening around him, he was drifting away, away from time and normality. Were they once two that had become one? Like Dragon and Magic had so many millennia's before time began, as he thought the noises and movements of around him disappeared. He concentrated on one of the beasts, and looked at the way he behaved. Their bodies didn't seem completely together, there was a strange looseness around the waist, where feathers met fur. He saw the back half seemed more strong and powerful, and very patient. The front half seemed more jumpy, constantly fidgeting and ruffling up. It was as if there were two brains, always compromising and deciding. When there was nothing to decide, they waited. Plain Dragons discovered that the heart pumped the blood, that the mind controlled the body, and that madness was no disease but of depression. True Dragons cared not for these facts, the heart was for love and to use, the mind was to think and to use to control things other than yourself. Madness was caught and contagious, and many other things. That is where the hatred sort of got bigger, disagreements within small things. It was a strange war, and it had ended up like it.
Suddenly Dream felt something touch his side, very hard with a stabbing pain. The noises and movements came back, and he gently felt his side. Blood trickled gently, from skimmed gashes. Some of his scales lay on the ground, where they had been dislodged. Dream found he was on the dry ground, with a Griffin looking down on him.
The wide staring eyes, looking deep into him. Why he looked at him so strangely was another thing to ponder about, later. Something bad was going to happen and Dream had to get out of the way, he rolled onto his wounded side, and winced as the pain grew worse. He stumbled to his feet and looked in a daze at the massive beast. Of course! They were two! They were two creatures put together! How stupid could he be, it was obvious. They must in their egg, be two separate creatures then joined quickly together. The remains of the lions brain still floating around, making Dream wished he hadn't thought up the answer.
The Griffin flicked Dream with a claw, sending him tumbling head over heels. His wings were in a mess, unabling him to move for a while. He quickly folded them back and stood up again, this Griffin wanted him still for a while. So he would have to move.
He nearly tripped as he ran, and saw a Dragons body laying like a zombie on the ground. Its eyes had glazed over and its mouth was open, its tongue hanging out and drenched in blood. Dream ran again, as he felt the icy cold glare of the Griffin begin the catch up on him. He saw Ruth being watched by another Griffin, who was a stunning purple. Dream ran over to her and pushed her down, making the Griffin shake his head and growl. Dream nudged her gently, and saw the other Dragons looking at him in amazement.
"Come on, get up quick!" He called down her ear hole, and pulled her away behind a boulder. He heard the purple Griffin clawing away at the boulder, trying to get through. Suddenly it shattered and all Dream saw was the glare he feared. He suddenly lashed out with tongues of flame, scorching the Griffin like the flame of a match. The Griffin flinched, and looked down to the fire quickly spreading on its feathers. Suddenly its front half froze up, and when it moved again the flames had gone. A bare patch was left on its front, and it didn't seem too pleased about it. Dream growled, putting his wings over the recovering Ruth. Silence echoed around the room, making it seem as if there had never been such a thing as noise. The dryness got to Dreams throat, making him wish he could quickly sip a gallon of water down at that moment. The staring eyes of the others were fixed on him, not an eye lid blinking. They were waiting and watching to see if another dragon joined the lifeless one on the ground.
Dream looked away as the Griffin began to look at him, his mind begged to look but with sheer strength of the heart he kept his head under his wings. He put his mind to Ruth, who was just waking from her trance. She looked up at him, her mouth slightly open and her eyes squinted in the dark to see him. She smiled weakly and blinked. "Dream?"
"No time, follow me and don't look at the Griffins, not matter how much you beg yourself to." Said Dream quickly, and closed his eyes and faced the Griffin. The ice was still there, resting and waiting for the wind to make it a snow storm. With his wing over Ruths face, he began to walk away. He felt the pulse of Ruths heart as they walked, suddenly a screamed rang out, so deafening Dream fell to the floor gasping for breath. His ears felt numb as his eardrums burst and he heard no more, he reluctantly looked up at the purple Griffin. It was smiling.
Ruth began to get up, her ears not effected by the super sonic blast. She closed her eyes, and put her tiny body bowing on hands and knees if front of the almighty Damaco. She had to act quickly, and felt the same feeling in him as he spread his wings to let her speak.
"I need to heal Dream, his side is badly wounded and so are his ears. They may never hear again, please Damaco." She begged, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.
"I will make it quick, my powers aren't strong in the presence of other gods." He nodded, and made the triangle of power quickly. He shot it over to her, and she had disappears from his world. She awoke and saw the green triangle floating in her claws. It whipped into her body, and she touched Dream gently on his wounded side. A green glow caressed his body, over everything. His ears healed and his wounds were nothing but mere scars.
She looked up at the Griffin, it ruffled its feathers and raised its wings.
The other Griffin, who was a drab brown and looked very powerful. It suddenly stared at the other one with anger and jealousy rumbling in its mind. Suddenly it lunched with its powerful lion legs and ripped at the purple Griffins neck. They began fighting to the death, ripping and tearing. Blood flowed heavily around, leaving the Dragons swimming in the disgusting stuff.
Dream used his wings, as they waded through it, Ruth following behind. He felt at the wall of magic, and it was so weak below the blood that he could push his claw through. It was quite thick, and mad him feel sick as he pushed it through. The blood was deep enough, as the fight got more messier behind them.
"It's our only chance, we will die if we stay here, and we might die if we don't get through the field quick enough. We have a better chance going though." Said Dream, watching the other Dragons diving underneath.
One started screaming and scrambling, twisting its body violently, then going limp with the half in the cell floating.
"Now or never." Sighed Ruth, and dived below the blood. She began to push, and with Dream pushing her as well she made it through quickly and easily. Dream then dived under, and pushed his fore arms through. Ruth grabbed them and pulled hard, Dream roaring in agony as the sick painful feeling struck him. Soon enough though with the twist of his tail he was out, dripping wet on the ground. They looked behind to the fighting Griffins, and saw the Brown one making the bigger and more deadly wounds. The other was using magic to stun and still the brown one, but it wasn't doing much. The brown one suddenly plunged its claws deep into the purple ones neck, and sliced off the head with a hiss of blood.
The floating body suddenly turned white and went into two different parts, and shaped back to two different shapes. One was a lion, the other was an eagle. They began to drown in the blood, and were suddenly eaten by the remaining Griffin, who seemed to sparkle with the magic he had gained. He ran through the field, and stomped on the most of the escaped prisoners. Ruth and Dream ran and hid behind a boulder in front of a cell, Dream searched for Ruby in the cell, and saw a white shape lying on the ground. He knew he could enter the cell easily from the outside, but getting out would be a problem. He need a liquid to weaken it, and found no source anywhere. Anywhere that was, except the cell filled with the blood. He ran over and sipped in loads, and spat it at the field. It quickly weakened and became an easy door for him to enter through and go out. He walked through it quickly, pushing through it like a wall of liquid. When the other weak and hurt Dragons saw the passage in and out, they ran for their lives. Behind him Ruth was already making doors for all the Dragons to escape through, but Dream had to see Ruby. He saw a white shape hunched up in the corner of the cell, its wings enclosed around it but no tears of water being wept. They were tears of blood.
Gently he touched her, and she drew back quickly in fear. As he stroked the ripped membranes of her wings, she began to relax slowly but not completely. Wounds were all over her, worse than all of the wounds he had ever seen. The flesh of one of her legs had been pulled back completely, exposing the bones. She limped slightly as she moved, but still she hid her face with her wings. Dream felt such deep sorrow he would inflict such wounds on himself to heal her, but that was impossible. This was magic at its evil black work, and it was hard to cure with the little good magic he had in his power. He looked back to the rush of Dragons from the cell, and wished Ruby was one of them. He felt his heart begin to pump faster as he gently and soothingly pulled back what was left of her wings, the skin hanging like flaps from the bones of her evolved arms. As he opened them, he saw her pull away her head from his sight, and then gently turn to him. She held no eyes, and her chest had been ripped open and he saw her heart pumping slowly. It was only pain which had been given to her, no blood flowed to kill her, just the exposure of her internal body. He didn't cringe, that would make her feel unwanted. Instead he smiled gently, and he knew she could sense his smile. Her mouth was dry and sore, her tongue begging for air and water. She pushed herself backwards, and Dream pulled the torn flesh back over her chest. It sealed together, but then blood flowed instead and the pain once again returned. He pulled it open again, the blood stopped bleeding, the pain remaining.
"Leave me to die, I will not live." She cried, her empty sockets showing more expression than her former eyes. "You have left me before, now leave me again."
"No, I can't. We've been apart for so long, and I need you." Dream soothed, putting his warm claw on her cheek. She pulled away, and pushed him away feebly with her wings. She shook her head, flicking blood around her face. She cringed, and gasped for another breath.
"I said leave me, go out and live your destiny. Please Dream, I have no hope. Not even the keeper of Knowledge can help me now, no magic he keeps could help me." Ruby sighed, trying to feel where Dream stood. Dream grasped her wing claw.
"I'm not leaving you here, you'll die slowly and painfully. Please say you'll give yourself a chance, if not for you then for me!" Begged Dream, grasping it tighter. Ruby cried more and more, but still she shook her head.
"To stop me suffering, kill me. That could put your mind at rest." Sighed Ruby, getting herself ready for a deadly impact.
"No, I can't. I won't! Your coming, now!" Suddenly he pushed her flesh back together so quickly the magic didn't notice and no blood flowed. He pulled her through the doorway into the scrambling prisoners.
"Come on Dream! It's only the injured ones who are here now, the others are on their way out!" Cried Ruth happily, and they flew quickly above the crowd. Embracing in the air with joy. Ruby carried on walking with the crowd, she was among others like her, she would not be trampled. Dream trusted her to pull through, as he and Ruth darted past the Griffins. They had been scratched and teared at by the other dragons, the stronger ones who were ahead.
They landed in the crowd, and Dream flew to the head of them, and they stopped to listen. He raised his wings high, to make him look strong and trustful, which he was.
"Fellow Dragons, of all breeds! We must work together for a short while, to escape and plan to destroy these Griffins! Before that day our minds cannot rest, and my destiny is the destiny which is needed to make this work. Those who are True may even consult Damaco, those who are not, must take my word. Please those who do not like me, wait to kill me after we have escaped. Doing it now would mean all of your certain deaths, so follow me and my partner Ruth, and to freedom we fly!" Dream shouted down the massive corridors, and they all spread their wings to fly. They flew fast and high, shooting past everything waiting for the light to come from a tunnel and lead them to victory. They always turned left at each crossing of tunnels, and soon the light of day began to fill their eyes with the hope and glory they had begged for. Not long had they been in the cells, but they had all felt pain and torture to some extent. As they felt fresh air, hot but fresh, they burst out into the dazzling sunlight. It had been so many hours passed since they had been put in the cells. Now the light was there, the sky was blue with not a cloud in sight. It was such a glorious day of escape and pleasure!
They flew out into the endless desert, and dived and dipped in the canyon, flying everywhere they could. Dream thought of Ruby, and all the other now flightless dragons. He looked at Ruth, with the power to heal. e talked to her in briefly in mid flight about it, and quickly they flew back to the tunnel entrance to meet the crowd of injured dragons. Ruth still had the power in her, and healed only the wings and more serious injuries quickly. Ruby was given a full recovery of wings, and she flew on to join the others. Dream left Ruth to the healing, and flew over the Ruby.
They danced and flew together playfully, as if they were brother and sister. Shine briefly entered his mind, then disappeared again. He nuzzled her gently, and looked into her empty sockets. She could see without them, he knew someday she would.
"Thankyou Dream, it was so kind of you I don't think any gift could pay you back." Ruby breathed. Dream smiled kindly, "The only gift I need is for you to be alive and happy, that is the greatest return."
Ruby smiled and laughed, and they laughed together. After a while, Ruth joined them, and the flock of injured dragons flew out to freedom.
"Thankyou Ruth, I knew you would be a loyal friend. To Dream as well." Said Ruby, not knowing the strong bond between Dream and Ruth.
Dream and Ruth laughed, and Ruby joined in just for the pure joy of it. Suddenly the Griffins came flying out, and the games were over. They flew again, fast and in dashes of speed the Griffins couldn't keep up. They dived out of sight and into sight again, confusing the Griffins terribly. The end of the canyon was in sight, and the other two flocks had already passed it. Only those three were behind, but quickly they caught up and were ahead. Cheers and roars of delight greeted them, they were all different breeds, but all grateful and thankful. It was as if Dream was an angel sent by Damaco to them.
"What matters? Kill who you like!" Laughed Dream, and everyone laughed with him. Not because he was just popular, because they thought it was funny and they were free to laugh at anything then. The Griffins gave up the kill, and flew groggily back to their home. It was a defeat that would give them bad punishment from Demonus, they knew it.
Revenge had Chrysalis though, Scrap was dead and the black Griffin was all his. She would be his, and nothing would stand in the way. Not just because she was beautiful, with the colour black, came magic and power. Which Revenge wanted a fair share in, and with a bond that would give him more freely. For now though he had Demonus to worry about, it was obvious the dragons could have killed him though. Maybe he would get off, as well as the others. He just hoped Chrysalis did, which he put for certain in his mind. He knew Demonus had a thing about Chrysalis, he didn't like to stare at her or talk to her very much.
He watch the dragons fly away, and wanted to spit on them with acid.
The dragons wanted to do the same with the Griffins, unfortunately they were too far away. They did fancy tricks, showing off with their lively wings. They hugged each other joyfully, they were going to live. One or two had lost friends and loved ones in the fight to get out, and they grieved. They were soon cheered up by the others, and they put back the terror of death. They were all free, and they would have to stick together for some time.
Dream would be their leader, hope would be their shield, and determination would be their sword.

They flew for the whole day, but they had no compass to see where they were going. So blindly they flew West further into the desert, within a few weeks though they would find the border to Enemco. As Dragus opened his eye, and sat in the sky with his starry scales, the dragons flew down and made camp. They were in their thousands, and all kept very close together. The injured ones were bunched in the middle, and the more stronger ones were out towards the edge. It made one gigantic circle, and watching over them all was Dream and Ruth. Dream quickly knew how to get water, and dug very deeply with his strong claws. The deep her dug, the more water he got, and soon enough he had a pool of water several meters below the surface. You would have to jump down to drink, but it was worth it. They drank in groups, the more desperate first. The ones who were quite satisfied would drink last, usually the less injured ones.
After they had all drank, the fit ones hunted. Little food did they find, but what they did was shared so everyone had at least a small piece to fill a small hole. Dream had a smaller piece then the group, and that made them all feel they were in good company. Ruth was given most of Dreams food, and she shared it among the more sick. She healed most of their wounds, and they all slept quite soundly. In the darkness of the cloaked night, Dream and Ruth talked.
"What shall we do tomorrow? What is the future to bring?" Ruth asked quietly, looking over the sleeping flock. One or two stirred, or rolled over to their other side, but none woke.
"We shall travel tomorrow, and the other question is not for me to answer. Even if it was I couldn't, no one knows what the future is going to be. Not even The Keeper of Knowledge probably knows." Sighed Dream, feeling a cool fresh breeze brush his face. It was fresh, but it was being used by a power. A power of magic, spreading and expanding. The Griffins were pumping it into the air, breathing it almost. Soon it would burst the barriers that had been made, and would spread out into the rest of the world. When it would get to the Plain Dragon Lands, things would change drastically. Nothing would be normal, things would be what magic wanted them to be. Dream knew this, he also knw there had to be a place without magic. The place on their part of the world, was the Plain Dragon Lands. If everything was taken over by magic, havoc and chaos would be the only ruling elements. Wild horses would be pegasuses, birds would be pheonixes, if cockeral, snake and dragon got to close a Cockatrice would emerge. The dreaded Cockatrice, if more reptile then a Basilisk.
Ruth looked at him, she could tell what he was thinking. She had no mind reading powers, but the look on his face told all. She shook her wings free of the sand that had settled on them, and folded them neatly back again.
"You know they lurk here don't you, it's very dangerous." She said to him, and Dream sighed. He looked over the sand dunes, long dead leaves few and far between. No signs of life was there, not even an oasis. Below ground was the only hope.
"I know, Cockatrices aren't the only problem though. We don't know what those Griffins have created with their powers. Their almost unstopable." Dream said.
"They are unstopable! I bet even Power couldn't stop them...." She suddenly put a claw over her mouth, and Dream stared hard at her. It was a forbidden name they were not allowed to use, using it meant punishment. It was also disliked by Damaco. They were told to use a longer name, The Keeper of Knowledge.
"Forget it, Damaco will probably forgive you. There's no older dragons here to hurt you, anyway, there's more a chance their're dead." Dream said, looking up to the sky, then back at Ruth. He was thinking of his father and half sister, but above all, his mother. The only one he didn't know, but he in a way did know. He looked to the stars, and picked out one that should be her. It was one of the brightest ones, and to his rules, she was the brightest. He could almost hear her words, whispering by on the wind. He listened carefully, and heard words he knew and understood being spoken.
"My...son...don't...give up...keep...going...live...magic...power...understand..." The words were quick and so quiet, he had to open his ears holes more to hear them properly.
He looked at Ruth, and she looked back in a puzzled way. Dream knew she wouldn't understand, she had no idea of his history. All he could do was look at her, and hope she would understand what he had been through. Ruth had a hidden history, like himself, was it was though pulled endlessly at his mind. Dream flopped down onto the ground, and closed his eyes. He heard Ruth lay down some distance from him, a gentle sigh entering his ears. He saw black mixed with many colours, he saw shapes emerge and for a second or two be shapes he knew. They were too quick for him to see what they were doing, they were flashes and ghosts. They weren't ghosts in facts, they were spirits and souls. They looked distorted, as if stretched. He shook his head, and the fell about as if they were living in his mind. They floated up again, and seemed to dissapear through his eye lids. He quickly opened them, and saw them disintagrate into the air. They were gone, and he had made them go. He rememberded their actions though, only too well. He went to sleep, and tried to dream of something good. Nothing but a mixed dream entered his mind though, and he had another to puzzle about.

He saw the desert, he saw the flock and Ruth. A force pushed him up and away from them, he watched them get farther away. He pushed back though, and he went no where. This is wrong, I'm supposed to go with them. His dream mind told him, but the force gave a sudden push and he went hurtling at light speed across the desert. He opened his wings and glided, going so quick past a Cockatrice its magic didn't affect him. He saw where the desert ended, and flew faster. With the force he flew so fast he had to skid and fal to stop. Before him lay a tree, but no ordinary tree. It was taller than the True Mountain, and nearly as wide. A massive slot of an entrance was there, something inside was calling him. He flew up, but he never got to it. It never got closer no matter how fast he flew, he never quite reached it. He realized that every time he fell onto the tree and touched it, he got little closer. He grabbed on to the tree, and began to climb. He pulled and stained, wrapping his wings around for extra support. He fell many times, but his wings and the force held him up. The force he saw, began to take shape. It was long and held two wings, arms, a head and tail emerged. Colour filled its empty form, and it turned out to be a dragon. With a crash it became many, and then became few. After all the actions of the force, he reached the slot, and fell in. It was dark, but he could see clearly where he was and who he stood before. He would speak, and he would ask, he would say it before he forgot, but it was too late.
The world woke him.

"Dream! Get up you lazy lizard!" Growled a dragon, shaking him hard. He grunted at being called a lizard, and sat up. The daylight suddenly blinded him, and squinted at the Eye of Radius looking upon him with ferousity.
"I'm awake, get off me." Yawned Dream, stretching his long strong jaws. He got up, and shook himself like a dog to rid him of the tickling sand, that blended well with his body. He sounded like a rattle, scales against sand grains.
"You should have been called Rattle." Laughed Ruth, who was behind him. He sneered slightly, and smiled. Ruby was also beside him, and he saw something sparkling in her eye sockets. He gave a puzzled look to her, and she smiled as if she knew.
"Do you like them? Ruth fitted them in for me, there's plenty of rubies laying around here." Ruby smiled, blinking her eye lids over the red gems.
Dream turned to Ruth and asked, "Can she see with them?"
"No she can't, they just look better than two empty sockets." Laughed Ruth, giving Ruby a friendly hug with her large wing. Ruby spread her wings and flew around for a while, Dream saw all her wounds had been healed. Still some of her legs bones were in sight.
"Magic is funny, you can't heal it all." Ruth said, almost reading his mind.
"Yeah, your right." Said Dream, not really listening to what she was saying. He was looking at the dazzling blue sky, so light it could be a pure white. No clouds in sight, he would do anything for at least one black rain cloud floating around.
"We must move, the Griffins will be sending a plantoon out to find us. In this barren dessert a flock of dragons isn't hard to find." Said the new dragon, and Dream looked at him.
He looked strong, and was very handsome. He wasn't a Plain dragon, he was charmed. His colour was always changing, as the sun dazzled on the scales. Dream suddenly put his claw over his body, and looked under the shadow.
He saw nothing, he saw colourless scales. What he was actually looking at was strange, he was looking into scales of nothing, he didn't know what was wrong with them.
"Do you like them? I designed them myself." Smiled the dragon, and flicked his tail, proudly. He then looked at Ruth, and smiled a suspicious smile Dream did not like.
"His name is Chameleon, don't you think he's scales are so neat?" Giggled Ruth, stroking them in fascination. His wing membranes were the same, changing colour in the light, it was a strange thing Dream didn't like. The way Ruth acted towards him was not in his good books either, he didn't want them alone together that's all he cared about. He pretened to trip up and knocked her hand off him, Chameleon glared at him then smiled.
"What in the world could you trip on here? An atom?!" Exclaimed Chameleon, with a hint of knowing in his voice.
"Yeah Dream, a grain of sand too big?" Ruby joked, her new eyes shinning and sparkling.
"Oh funny, yeah." Said Dream sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He looked out to the distance, and saw something trotting over the dunes. It didn't look familiar, and really rather small. It had a long tail, and bobbed its head. If he concentrated, he could see two flappy things on its back.... but the eyes. He felt strange and sick as he tried to see them. Suddenly he knew what it was.
"Cockatrice! Close your eyes and run that way!" He shouted, pointing to his left. Suddenly all the dragons took flight, in a giant rush to run. Dream stayed behind a bit, watching from a distance the activities of the beast. It trotted along inoccently, as if it had no troubles or worries at all. Which it probably didn't, as it stared at a rock, which instantly shattered into dust. Dream shuddered as those dangerous eyes glinted quickly his way, and he turned. Its long serpent tail flicked with pleasure, as it destroyed everything hard in sight. The bones of their left over meals were turned to a powder, and the meat into a mushy pulp. Dream flew faster, they had no buisness with the beast. As he flew farther, he felt the presence of the Cockatrice grow smaller until he could no longer feel its powerful magic throbbing in the air. He felt the normal sickly magic, the one that had been breathed by the Griffins to make this barren waste land.
Dream flew beside Ruth, who gently nudged his side. He smiled gently, and relaxed. They could tear off all his scales and pull out his eyes, it wouldn't hurt a bit if Ruth was there. He did a quick loop, and dived low and then flew high, his heart was beating like the most biggest and loudest drum in the world. He could feel it throbbing powerfully against his rib cage, as if it was dying to get out. Dream held it in, and let out all his emotions in one big sigh.
Ruth laughed gently, and darted through the crowd of dragons flying in perfect rythem. Dream swooped after her, and caught up with her at the head of the crowd.
"No more games now, we have to find Enemco." Laughed Ruth, licking her dry lips. Dream chuckled off the last laughs, and they flew seriously together. Ruby flew up behind them, and then flew next to Ruth.
"How did you know where we are?" Asked Dream, looking at Ruby.
"I think the magic in my body must be going through the gems, thinking they're eyes. I can see a little, a few shapes. From that I can work out where things are, it's not perfect but it's better than nothing." Smiled Ruby, blinking.
"That's brilliant! Your mother would be so pleased...." Dream shut his mouth, when he saw Ruby look sadly at her age old necklace. It hadn't gone off her neck since she had put it on, the rock was a little dirty, but her gem and her mothers were still shinning strong.
"Where is your mother Ruby? I never met her." Said Ruth in a curious sort of way, looking at the expression on her friends faces.
"She's not here. I'm not going to see her ever again, never." Ruby sighed, hanging her head low. Her wing beats became lazy, and her tail floped downwards. She closed her eyes, as if she didn't believe she really could see anymore. "She said in this necklace, that if I looked beyond my sight, I would find her. I'm not going to though, I didn't even see her body when she was dead." Ruby dropped behind, and dissapeard in the flock of dragons.
Dream looked at Ruth, she looked very depressed, at making a friend so upset. She had no idea that Rubys mother was dead, ans that she didn't know her father. Dream wished he could say his whole life in a single word, so she would understand. He wanted to share things with her, to say that Ruby could cope. He wanted to say everything he wanted to, in a sentence. It was a dream though.
Like me entire life. He thought, looking up into the sky. The sun blared fiercely, wanting to scorch their scales. Dream could not sweat, nor any other dragon, but he felt like it. Ruth was panting, her long slender tongue was cooling her off. Dream noticed he had no need to, he felt refreshed, but he knew he must be hot. If the sun was hot and everybody else was, he must be. Then again he felt cool, he felt no need to pant or to want to sweat. He might have felt like sweating but he didn't need to. He put a forearm on his scales, they felt cool. He touched Ruths scales and pulled back quickly, his fingers stung and burnt. Ruth giggled childlishly, and touched Dreams scales. She looked up at him, puzzling greatly over his body tempreture. She shook her head, and carried on flying normally. She wasn't panting anymore though, and Dream thought he saw her scales kind of relax.
Dream suddenly swooped to the edge of the flock, and flew for a minute to the back. The weakest dragons were lagging behind, panting terribly. Dream let them put their claws on his scales, they sighed and smiled. They all crowded round to touch his cool golden scales, as if he was a saviour of the heat. Dream flew back to the front, and joined Ruth again.
"Why did you go back there?" She asked, looking at him.
"When dragons touch my scales, they cool down! I never thought I could do that!" Exclaimed Dream, then thought of his power with fire. "Then again if I can use fire magic than I can do almost anything." Ruth agreed, and looked ahead. A very thin line of green was in the distance, and in it lay hope and life. For shades of blue lay in it, showing that in the distance was Enemco! In all its glory of magic and power, it was just a couple of days away.
Dream turned round and saw Chameleon flying loyally behind him, as if Dream was his master in a way.
"Go ahead and see if there's any sign of danger." Ordered Dream, and Chameleon suddenly dived low and scoured ahead on the sand dunes.
"You can see there's nothing down there, why did you do that?" Asked Ruth, raising a scaley eye brow. "Because I want to talk to you, without him here." Whispered Dream, getting closer to Ruths ear.
"What do you want to talk about?" Ruth asked, raising her ear.
"He's not, um, close to you is he? I mean, like, closer than I am...." Said Dream shyly, not really knowing what to say.
"What are you trying to say Dream?" Asked Ruth, bringing her neck back so it had a gentle curve in it. "Look....you don't love him as well do you? Because the way you acted towards him earlier made me think so." Growled Dream, letting it all out.
"Of course not! I don't know what gave you the impression of that so badly you had to ask me! Dream you know I'm not the type to two time." Sighed Ruth, in a relieved sort of way. "Good, Chameleon!" He called down to him, and Chameleon came flying swiftly up. "Yes?" Asked Chameleon.
"Fly heroically." Said Dream, as if this dragon was a soldier. Chameleon shrugged and flew quite heroically. Dream suddenly looked at Ruth, and saw her for a moment swoon and sigh. Her eye lids lowered. She then saw Dream watching her and turned back to flying.
"Okay, you can go back now." Said Dream, and Chameleon flew behind again.
"What was that supposed to prove?" Said Ruth, in a sort of uncomfortable jerkey way.
"The way you looked at him, as if he was better than me...." Said Dream.
"Look Dream! He's a handsome dragon and you must admitt it! Just because I swoon a little doesn't mean that I'm going to ditch you, relax a little." Exclaimed Ruth, and Dream turned away. Ruth turned away as well, and they flew seperately.
Behind them, Chameleon talked to a friend.
"Why would you want to do that? I mean, he did free us." Said his friend, Blue.
"Because you idiot, he knows who I would do anything in the world for. Ruth, he doesn't deserve her. He's not even the same breed as her, he holds no magic or not even the will to change colour." Sighed Chameleon. Blue looked at him, his ears nearly laid back.
"I don't like it, what I do like is Dream. She loves him, you'll only make her hate you if you do go ahead with the plan." Blue sighed, in a whisper then.
"If you don't want to you can go join the others, its either kill or be killed. That's the idea. Your my friend, and I don't want to hurt you. As I said though, I would do anything for Ruth." Chameleon said, and rippled his scales to a harsh red.
"I'll go with you, but only because I don't want to be killed. Don't blame me if Ruth hates you like she does Them." Blue said.
"Oh my friend, I'm not going to be the one who's hated. Its not going to be my fault, oh no. I'm going to be the shoulder to cry on, and soon more than that. For now though, I just need them to get a little more fragile wth each other." Smiled Chameleon, and Blue just shook his head. Dream turned and looked at Ruth, and touched her wing with his.
"I'm sorry, I just don't want to lose you." He apologized, and Ruth looked back at him. Dream could tell she had been crying, the tracks of her tears showed down her face.
"Me too." She sniffed, and they hugged in the air. Dream could see Chameleons eyes change colour in
the midst of the flock. The eyes closed and dissapeard, and Dream felt an uncomfortable feeling shiver through him. They carred on beating their wings, and ahead the green and blue line got thicker. Dream could see a shadow crossing over the border, it didn't move and was thick and pointed.
"True Mountain, the homes of us True ones. My home." She sighed, and her eye lids lowered in a day dream. Dream looked at her, and knew she was desperate to get home. She did not rush though, she didn't know what the other two armies might have done to it. Dream had never considered that when she rushed for his father, and now he still bore scars of the flame that had burnt him. His wing membranes were quite sore sometimes, when he had been flying too long. "Till the Eye of Radius begins to fall!" He called to the flock. They all nodded, and silence rung out.
They flew endlessly through the desert, for hours upon hours. They went all day without food, they had quite sufficent. Those who were hungry had to bear it, and those who were thirsty would try to drink the hot humid air. Doing that would give them a magical energy boost, which made them think they weren't thirsty or hungry. You could only do that several times before it began to work the oppisite way.
The day began to became evening, the sun was falling slowly. The blue body of Radius was taken over by the black cool body of Dragus, and his eye opened to a certain extent.
They all flew down, and made the gigantic protective circle. Dream and Ruth slept around the edge, being the healthiest. Chameleon lay by Ruth, so Ruth had boy dragons either side of her. She knew how Dream felt about that, as he was mumbling and grunting to himself.
"Chameleon, why don't you go sit by some other person? Maybe Blue, he is your friend." Said Ruth carefully, not wanting to hurt Chameleons feelings.
"Can't leave you unprotected, Dream has no magic does he?" Said Chameleon, sliding his tail tip over Ruths. Ruth pulled away, and drew her head back.
"He does in fact, enough to protected me. Please Chameleon, your not going to be in his good books." Sighed Ruth, and reluctantly Chameleon trotted away. During the night he was that empty colour, that colour that wasn't a colour at all. At night, he was nothing.
Dream smiled, and slept comfortably. The magic floated up to the sky, and stayed there. It made sleeping easier as Dream could breath properly, with no annoying thick magic blocking his nostrils. He felt so refreshed, then he woke up and decided to look around.
He tilted his head up, and set his gaze upon the night sky, the body of Dragus. He knew there must be another Sky Dragon, because there was hazy mized colour of the sky between night and day. No dragon had ever named it, but now he would. It held no eye, but shared the eyes of Dragus and Radius. So it must also share their names. Dragus....Radius....Dadis. That was his name, Dadis, the Sky Dragon inbetween Dragus and Radius. Damaco might know him already, but feel no need for his subjects to know of him.
A shooting star suddenly flashed across the sky, like a burning pheonix going for its last flight. It cut through the air like a dragons claw, leaving a dusty trail dissapearing behind it. Dream wished he had the freedom of a pheonix, no duties or destinies. They were the only creatures that had no destinies, they were only made to live and die. They had no special aim in life, it was a shame, for they could not speak nor give you clues or signs. They just flew and ate, and showed off their marvellous feathers. All of their lives were the same, none differed from the other. One Pheonix dead was nothing special, they burned, and from their ashes they rebuilt themselves. Pheonixes never truly died, they just re-birhted themselves.
Dream flicked his tail restlessly, he knew what he had to do in the near future. Not in the far future though, his life was not planned and mapped. It was made up as his destiny stretched out like a mystical carpet over him, his true colours would flash brilliantly soon. No longer a plain gold, but he would be every colour that existed. That was what he hoped, for now though, life was his only hope. The barren desert was only just livable, during the night it was almost heaven compared to the day.
He wanted the day to come soon, he was full of life and was very alert. Staying awake too long would rid of it, but he just couldn't sleep. His eye lids were determined to stay open, to let his eyes look upon the darkning night time. He felt his body wasn't keeping him aware, some other force was pushing him to watch. He tried to rest his mind, if not his eyes. In his mind he dreamt, he dreamt of all the things that were possible to happen to him. The most frightening one was death, slowly and painfully by tooth and claw, even magic. Magic was a force that not even Power could completely control, but he was best at holding it back. He was a dragon known so little about, that dragons began to fear him. They feared him so much, hate reared its ugly head and they were going to kill him. He retreated though, into the last Mountain Tree. They all could get in, but the tunnels and paths were lifeless and whatever you did, you never came out. Dream wondered if that was ever to happen to him, lost and alone in a world he knew nothing about. He shivered, and felt the cold grip him like a vice. He was in a desert, and was cold. He thought that strange things always happened to him, they involved others, but he was the main point of them.
A destiny above others, but one that involves others. So they are just as important as I am. He thought to himself, and looked at his treasured Ruth. She sleapt soundly, no snoring or signs of bad habits. He hated to let her in on the danger, he would skin himself alive and let himself bleed to death for her safety. Something inside him wanted to make her part of him, but saying the journey was too dangerous for her would make her offended. Anyway, not only was she his beloved, she was his friend. His fellow adventurer.
Suddenly his head twisted towards the shadows of the group, and he saw a glimmering nothingness slip out of his sight. He shook his head, and tried to rest. His head shook again, and moved his eyes directly into the shadows again. He flicked his ears, and stared hard to try and make out the shape he couldn't see. For a second or two, he saw a pair of eyes blink with anger and frustration. He knew something was there, what it was he couldn't make out. Carefully he watched the sand, and saw prints and drag marks being made with no maker. He lashed out with his tail, and saw an impact on the ground, and a muffled cry.
"Reveal yourself True Dragon!" He shouted, waking some. The air glimmered, and Chameleon lay with an aching side on the dunes.
"Why did you do that? I was on night watch." Grumbled Chameleon.
"Can't be too careful, can't let something happen to us, it might end up hurting Ruth." Shrugged Dream, and laid down again. Suddenly a blow went to his head, and his mind was blanked for a short period of time.
He saw blackness, what his future could be.

When he woke up, the flock and all his friends had gone. The night hadn't though, and nor had Chameleon. He lifted his aching head, and felt the blood rush about his body. His blood was not normal, it was sparked with magic he was not meant to have. It was special.
Chameleon lifted him up, and threw him away. An evil sneer curled on his lips, showing his sharp teeth. He spread his nothing wings impressively, making him look much bigger than he was. He also straightened his tail, and raised his ears. He looked enough to scare any opponent easily away.
"Now Plain Dragon, we will have a one to one fight. The winner lives." Growled Chameleon. "That's not fair! You can use magic!" Protested Dream.
"If you can protect and fight for Ruth, you can protect and fight for yourself." Smiled Chameleon, expecting everything Dream was going to say.
"What if I pull out?" Asked Dream curiously.
"Then you have to ditch Ruth and your so called destiny, and leave back to your homeland. In ditching Ruth you give me an opportunity to let me have her heart, and your future. After that has all happened, I don't want to see your face anywhere but your Land." Explained Chameleon, and Dream made the wise choice.
"I'll fight." Dream said, nodding his head. He revved up all the power he knew he had inside him, fire and electricity. He needed not to ask Damaco, that was just his ticket to the door of Magic. He could understand, control and use Magic. He knew what attacks and defences he could use, he planned out the battle.
He made the first move, shooting out several balls of fire into Chameleons face. Chameleon ducked but was scorched by another sent out by Dream. Chameleon protected himself against more hits with shield Magic, a sphere that settled around him. He ridded of it and made his first attack, he lengthened his claws and scratched down Dreams belly. He did not rip it though, Dreams scales had grown tough and enough to take some of the damage. Dream lunged at Chameleon, digging his sharp claws into his flesh, blood dribbling down like water. Chameleon shoved him off, and bit at him, taking off a chunk. Dream swiped with his tail, knocking his opponent down. Suddenly Chameleon blended, and Dream couldn't see him. He was using the same Magic as he had done near the flock, but the same trail marks were visible. Dream grabbed for his feet, and the contact sizzled on his arms and passed the Magic over in a painful flash. Dream was invisable, and Chameleon was not. Dream felt a tingling sensation swiftly flow through his body and blood, his head felt strange. He saw the world differently now, why it went with the magic he didn't know. He was seeing in heat, the more closer to red the more hotter it was. Blood and bodies were hot, everything else was a dull blue. Dream saw Chameleon, and saw the hottest and probably most important points. He was dazed from the transformation though, and his lunge was feeble. He saw the colour blob swing at him, and miss by an inch. Chameleon was used to those kinds of things, and had recovered quickly. Dream suddenly woke up from his daze, and looked at his body. His belly had small signs of out-of-place red, which was obviously blood.
Dream moved stealthily, choosing quiet flight instead of walking. He had Chameleon very confused.
"Show yourself! Your hiding foolishly and like a chicken!" Mocked Chameleon, thinking about different ways to attack a sighted Dream.
He felt a sudden blow at his head, and was knocked painfully to the ground. His head was bleeding, the blood leaking onto the dim sand. He raised his head groggily, and saw a shape glimmer behind him. He licked his lips dumbly, and whispered words of mercy.
"Winner takes all." Growled the air, and a slight wing beat was heard moving in front of him. Chameleon didn't know that this would happen, and he was terrorfied that he would lose and perish. He knew the invisability was weakning. With a crackle of magic, Dream came into sight again.
"Ah ha! Magic doesn't last forever fool!" Chuckled Chameleon, and blasted powerful lightened Magic at him, pinning Dream to the ground. Chameleon slapped his face with his sharp claws several times, and dug them into his arms and legs.
"Now the worst punishment."Smiled Chameleon cruely, and placed his claws over the membranes of Dreams wings.
"A flightless dragon doesn't survive very long in Liento." Growled Chameleon evilly, and began to plunge his calws into Dreams precious golden wing.
Chameleon suddenly sprawled to the ground, gasping for breath and burying his claws into the sand. He screamed in agony and pain, Dream watched in horror as Chameleon began to transform.
He wanted ultimate power, he's getting it. Said a distant voice, booming with laughter. Chameleon began to mutate, growing extra arms and tails. More necks and heads began to sprout from his shoulders, and another pair of wings overlapped the first. His scales remained though, but were coloured with colours of power. Chameleon laid panting on the ground, his tongue now slender and long, his horns strong and tough. His ears had grown large and impressive, making him look so ferocious Dream began to have second thoughts.
"Now let's see who's powerful! The power of Satix!" Roared Chameleon, a new voice and body. His attitude was of greed, of the thirst for dragons blood. He bit at Dream, and plunged his elongated fangs into Dreams puny flesh. Dream cried with agony and headbutted him, his horns delving not too far into the belly of Chameleon. Dream felt the power begin to drain from Chameleon, he began to weaken and Dream strengthened. Chameleon pushed him off, and sudden changes had occured. Everything was smaller, and weaker. Dream had not developed but was stronger, he had absorbed his energy and magic. Dream struck out again, draining like a bee and a flower. He drove the weakning Chameleon back, until only small drops were left. Chameleon had held the power of the world in his claws, ready to be used in the way he wanted to. But no, this puny dragon of no importance to him had defeated the mighty dragon. Now Chameleon lay sprawled and weak on the sand.
"Kill, or be killed." Hissed Dream poising his head to strike a deadly bite.
"Please, a change in rules. Close to winner lets loser go!" Groveled Chameleon, but it was too late. The anger had grown greatly inside Dream, he wanted to put the power back. Into a dead body. Like a snake, Dream struck Chameleons heart. He gave a short gasp, as the fangs pumped into him the now toxicated magic. He was killed, as his eyes glazed over and his breaths became shorted until they were no more.
Dream couldn't leave the body there, the magic may be poisness, but with the right magic already it could be picked up. He knew that well enough. He would send the body to Damacos world, that was not simple but could be done. It had been a while since he had talked to Damaco, quite a while.
The flash of stars and space zoomed past him, and he bowed lowly and loyally before Damaco, leader of dragons.
"Speak Destined one." Boomed Damaco.
"I need to transport a powered body, into your world. Could you do that?" Asked Dream, not looked up at the great shadow before him.
"It is possible, I shall do that." Nodded Damaco.
Dream suddenly thought of a question. "Who is Satix?"
Damaco sighed heavily, he was very much afraid that someday this dragon would ask him that question. He had to answer though, it was part of Dreams future and so important.
"My follower, Satix is an evil enemy, that someday you must face. His magic and power in unbelievable, and nearly matches mine. He could destroy Power, and with luck even me. Yet he sleeps somewhere in No Creatures Land, and collects all the magic he can, and then someday will release his wrath on our world. You my follower, my destined one, will stop him. When you are strong and old enough, you will fight him with your special magic. That day is not in your current destiny, but will appear at moments. Maybe, just maybe, he might be in this destiny. Why and when is not up to me, I do not control that." Explained Damaco, and Dream understood wholely. "What is he?" Asked Dream simply.
"He is dragon, not the dragon you or any other know, but he is dragon. Now go." Said Damaco softly, and Dream was dismissed from his presence.
Dream looked around to see Chameleons body gone, and the sun beginning to rise.
"Ruth might be worried." He said to himself, and suddenly thought where the flock was. He looked in the distance, and saw Chameleon had not taken him far. Spreading his wings Dream began to fly, the air rushing past him, carresing him gently like his mother could of.
My son, you will find me. He heard a voice in his head whisper to him, he didn't care for it though, as he had been a bit dazed and could have been anything.
It was me my son. He heard again, yet he ignored it and landed quietly by the flock. They were just waking up, and the wind began to fall. His mind began to fill back up again, the fight was in the past. He thought of other things.
Please, do not ignore me. My son.

Ruth was sitting up, her eyes closed and wings wrapped around her like a bat. She rocked gently, moving only slightly though. He didn't want to wake her, she was just so peaceful.
He prodded her slightly, and she gently opened her slender eyes. The look on her face was tired and worried, almost haunted. She got up uneasily, stretching her wings out. She stumbled for a bit, in a daze from going from one world to another. Finally she got a grip on the world her body was in, and smiled at Dream.
"Didn't think you'd be up so early." She laughed, and Dream shrugged. He turned to face the flock, which looked ready and waiting for anything that hit them at any moment. He looked back to Ruth, who was searching for the not-so-loyal Chameleon.
"He's dead." Said Dream simply, and Ruth stared in horror at him. He knew that was a bit harsh on her, but saying it gently introduced that he was frightened of her, which he was not. He put a wing round her, as a pittiful tear rolled down her face.
"Killed, by me." Said Dream, and Ruth suddenly pulled away from his tender embrace.
"How could you? He'd never done anything to you!" She hissed, and laid back her ears in fear and shock. Dream wanted to know how she felt inside, so he could use the right tone of voice to sooth it down to frustration.
"He pulled me away from the flock, and proposed a fight. He said winner takes all, including you. It was to the death, I had no choice when he used the power of Satix." Explained Dream, and Ruth relaxed a little at this. He could still see doubt in her mind though, and that would have to be ridded of quickly.
"Why? Because of me?" Asked Ruth, just noticing Dreams injuries. Dream nodded, and Ruth began to cry again. She had a fragile heart, that was easily kicked and bruised. He had to protect it, and her, so that they were good trusty friends as well.
Ruth quickly dried her tears, and the two stood in front of the flock, which they could see had grown a little smaller. Dream knew some had tired too easily and fel to their deaths, or maybe a fight had killed them off. Some had just slept too heavily and been left behind, it was tough luck for them though, only the most aware and fittest survived in the harsh conditions of the desert.
The burning sun tourched them, they felt like living infernos. Their scales were red hot, they found it hard to look anywhere without squinting in the bright light. Water and food was scarce, so they had to do with little. That killed some off, and weakened the strong. What Dream was seeing were the survivors, these were the true warriors that knew little fear and comfort. They would do anything to see the day, to live.
"Today, I fear for the worst. Around the border of Enemco, powerful magic and creatures gaurds it. As they don't particulary want Griffins to take over there. So prepare yourself." Announced Dream, and there was a little chatter from the crowd. "So, let's push on!"
The whole flock took to the air again, the beat of wings deafning to anything that was alive to hear it. The noise was not annoying, it seemed to have a sort of rythem to it.
Dream and Ruth were joined once again by Ruby, and she used what little sight she had to keep herself with them.
The border got thicker, the green lush fields and woods of Enemco became more clear. True Mountain and the Tall Networks became clearer, they were all things Dream was soon to explore. He would command and conquer them, he would have his glorious destiny lived.
"Fly lower! The magic's too strong up here!" He called over the roar of wings, and they swopped lower like a flock of birds. Dream looked behind him, and saw a few dragons he had seen earlier were missing. A tug on his tail disturbed his thought.
"Eer, have you seen Chameleon? I haven't seen him since yesterday." Said Blue.
"He's dead, he proposed a fight to the death and I killed him. Sorry." Said Dream, and flew ahead to escape a return comment. Blue just sighed, and dropped behind.
Dream knew that the killing would cause some rousing in the group, whether he was safe or not. No matter though, because without him living the world just might come to a dreadful end. Not only did Griffins pose a threat to Dragon kind, but there was one thing that bugged him and tugged away at him. Satix.
Damaco had said that he would not meet him soon, there was something that grudged against that theory though. The grudge said, Damaco is wrong, Satix will come with wrath in his claws.
This worried Dream, and set his mind to all-round-working. Even in his sleep the name Satix rang in his filling head. Dream looked at Ruth, and she looked back. Through the feelings that they felt for each other, they had not yet said it. Dream didn't plan it either, words were nothing. They were simple sounds of what your mind says, no matter what you say, emotions and actions speak louder than words. He didn't know if Ruth knew that, but he took it that she did. She looked the type of dragon that would, or did she? Dream knew little about her history, she could be a murderer for all he knew.
"Ruth, what secret are you keeping from me?" Asked Flame, and Ruth looked shyly at him. She thought for a while, then replied, "You know I wouldn't keep a secret from you, and I don't." "I know you do! You have told me hardly anything about yourself, tell me now or never!" Exclaimed Dream, and felt he was wearing their bond thin.
"You can't force my past out of me! I have no reason to tell you!" She shouted, still she stayed though, waiting for the reply call. She was braver than Dream, he would have flown away.
"Because I care for you, that's why!" Snapped Dream back, and that closed Ruths jaws tight.
"I didn't want to say it but I guess I had to. Please, I won't keep my past a secret. I'll be open." Sighed Dream, and he saw Ruths face change from anger to deep puzzlement.
"I thought, I thought you had told me all? You Plain Dragons don't have much excitement in your lives....."
"I wouldn't call it excitement. More like grief." Said Dream, and hung his head as they flew. "What happend to you Dream, what haven't you told me?" Asked Ruth, flying closer to him. "As I was a big egg, it injured my mother. She was very sick, and eventually she...."
Suddenly there was a chourus and shouts and screams from the back, and the whole flock began to fall from the steady rythem.
"What the heck?" Came a shout from one, and Dream looked below. The border was getting close, strong magic was trying to beat them back. The Trues were joining at the front, trying with all their might to find out what magic was there.
Below Dream could see a great black hoard of things came charging towards them. He shouted a warning, but the cries and shouts of other deafened and softened his voice to what seemed like a whisper.
It struck them suddenly and with no mercy, and they began to descend without a clue what was happening to them. Injuries were cut and beat with no-one to inflict them, and they kept on going. Dream could see them though, and fought off the ones that were trying to kill the injured. The more fit found it easier to defend, as whirling round and hitting anything in sight did the trick. On hitting the ground, the beasts appeared, and the fight began.
Dragons, black warrior dragons. There were Trolls with massive clubs and axes, and miniture beasts using their natural defences. Dragons began to fall and die, and the powerful magic which the enemies held was too much. They showed off more than anything, growing horns and pulling back flesh to reveal bones. The one thing that scared Dream the most was a new enemy, which he had encountered before. Scarlet, a Skeletal dragon. He had nearly killed her, and basically the rest of his family and friends. He wondered about Biscuit, what he had done. The other armies had probably beaten him dead by now.
Dream swiped and beat the most he could, but skeletals were more than skin hanging off of bones. They were cruel and mean, and when their army became low, they revealed their true selves.
Like a coat, their skins fell off. They could fly through magic, even if their wing membrans had withered away to nothing. Once knocked apart by a luck blow, their quickly rebuilt themselves. "Shatter the bones! Don't let them stay in one piece!" Roared Dream, still it didn't work. The frenzy of multi-colours and black was like watching insects scurry out of a flooded nest. Dream felt his mind begin to crumble as the flock got smaller and smaller, and to make it worse, his precious Ruth was nowhere in sight.
"Ruth! Ruth where are you?!" He called above the groans and clashes, he spotted a flurry of red, green and yellow now and again though. He rushed towards the tumbling shapes, and thought he heard his name being called. He pushed through deadly beasts which he had no stomach to look at, especially ones affected by magic. He saw one or two dragons he knew, being crushed and tortured by these gaurds of the Realm of Magic. They had been put to a mission, one that would give them food and space to live. They had to protect Enemco from intruders with their worhtless lives, if only they knw how important Dream was, they would let the destined one pass.
Suddenly a flurt of black flame shot into the air, and the whole battle stopped suddenly. The silence was unbearable, who had blown that magic? Somewhere a dragon took advantage and clawed down another, and the sound of a body on sand was like cymbals clashing. Nobody moved, they were too scared. Suddenly a pathway emerged, and a dragon stepped foward. Suddenly the black soldiers bowed before him, and the flock followed with no idea who he was. "What do you call yourselves? They shouldn't have even gotten to here!! You were last reserves!!!" He barked, and struck the nearest three soldiers. They flinched, and bled, but did not yell.
"Mantis!" Boomed the dragon, and a single soldier stood up.
"How did your men get in such a state, from these few intruders?" Growled the dragon. The large insect like creature hung his head misereably, then replied, "There were many more before this, we killed them, see the bodies?" His voice trembled so much it sounded as if it was going to fall away. Suddenly the dragon struck his head, killing him.
"He was annoying me anyway." Grumbled the dragon. He stared around at the grovelling soldiers, and kicked a few in the head. They either fainted or moaned quickly, this captain or whatever he was, took no mercy upon the weaker ones.
"You lot are scum! I need another leader, stand up all those who think they are worthy or such a place!" Ordered the dragon, no one stood.
"Somebody stand or I'll kill you all!!" Screamed the dragon, stamping a foot.
There was a little chatter, and suddenly one jumped to his feet after shrieking suddenly. He was holding his tail, which showed signs of something being stuck in it.
"You! Name! Age!" Commanded the dragon.
"My name is Archel, my age is twenty nine." Replied the dragon calmly, as if he had gotten used to it. The dragon leader smiled, he could see confidence and a future in this one.
"Archel, do you think you could arrange and re-build this pathetic army? Good, I knew you would be able to. Now bring the ones you think not worthy to me, and they shall be disposed of." Said the dragon, and began to walk away.
"Sir?" Said Archel.
"What?" Said the dragon, stopping and looking at him.
"What about the enemies Nogard sir?" Asked Archel.
"One, leave that to me. Two, don't use my name!!" Roared the dragon, and went to strike Archel. The smaller dragon put a wing over him, and realized why he hadn't been hit. Nogard killed with every hit, killing Srchel meant finding yet another dragon to lead the army.
Suddenly Nogard turned to face the flock, and stared hard around them. Blue beams shot from his eyes, and he drew a circle around them. Suddenly they were within walls, and were being dragged away by the powerful Nogard.
"Well, at least he left the bodies." Said Blue, who was standing beside Dream.
"I hope Ruth isn't one of them." Sighed Dream, and suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and face a battered and be-draggled Ruth, and they embraced in a hug. Blue smiled at Ruth, and she smiled back. She closed her eyes and let the hug end, and they looked at each other.
"Let's think about this Nogard bloke, he seems pretty tough." Said a dragon, who suddenly came up behind him. Dream studdied the dragon, he looked pretty intelligent, and full of brawn. His muscels rippled, and he showed only pride and vengence in his eyes. He had a stomach for battle, he was the sort of dragon Dream need an army of. This dragon was smaller than him, as he was a Plain Dragon. He knew no magic and didn't particulary want to, but he had strength enough to knock down and injure any creature. Except those considerably larger than himself.
"What's your name?" Asked Dream, and the dragon smiled.
"Klen, are you Dream may I ask?" Replied the dragon.
"Yes, how come you didn't know?" Dream asked, and Klen grinned.
"Ahh, now that's quite a long tale. We haven't time for it, I'll tell you some other time." Said Klen, and fanned himself with his wings. He was a peach colour, you would have thought he was a hard deep colour. He wasn't though, he was a soft gentle colour, one more for a female.
Dream looked at Klen, it was the kind of look you didn't argue with. So Klen didn't, he sighed and ruffled his wings a bit.
"I'm Plain as you know, but I have been places and seen the Trues. Ah yes, and I talked to one I must say. He was the richest and most royal blue, he was powerful and graceful. He was one to envy so much, I could almost give my wings up to be him. He called me though, I came to him through a call of magic he sent out. I replied, and knelt before him humbly." Klen paused and looked at Dream. Dream looked so fascinated, and bewildered. "So, he told me many things. He told me a riddle in fact, and it went exactly like this, listen carefully." Klen took another breath, and suddenly his body took a whole new form. He was suddenly impressive, and his voice was deeper and more powerful.
"I am tall and not false, but the other way.
Upon my side that faces the warmth of day,
The depth of this riddle does lay.
Seven openings of the mystic Enemco,
Four are high and three are low.
The bottom two must be turned,
to make the power of magic churn.
Join these lines and in their wake,
Will the answer to magic make."
Dream just stared, how could he remember all that? It was strange, suddenly Klen patted Dream on the back, making him cough. "He told me to tell that riddle, to my leading Dream. I figured that out, he wanted me to tell it to you! I haven't solved it, I don't even known what he's talking about." Suddenly the bubble came to a stop, and they had reached their destination.
Nogard stroked his claws on the bubble, and suddenly it disapeared. Instead of running though, the flock were caught in some sort of invisible chains. They struggled and flapped, injuring others foolishly. Finally Nogard spoke to them, and in a tough tone of voice.
"Stop struggling! You'll hurt yourselves, only my magic can makes these chains go. Now come along!" Nogard shouted, and miserably the flock followed him.

Dream felt the chains itching around his feet, tickling and clawing at him. He desperately wanted them off, it was like a mosquito bite that hurt. It was almost as if a creature had its jaws around his foot, but with insects in its mouth. He could see everyone had the same discomfort, yet it was a very good trick of magic. To control by torture, like interrogating. He thought it might be useful to posess the power, for now he would have to follow though. He thought about the riddle Klen had told him, he usually forgot long things told to him. This one had settled in his mind, and was as comfortable as his brain. It twisted and turned, and gave quick pictures. He tried to figure it out, but it was all blurred. As he walked and thought, the itching of the magic chains drifted away. The whole world died, and he was bought before Damaco. Loyally he bowed to his knees, and looked quickly at the figure standing tall in front of him.
"I have bought you here Dream." Boomed Damaco.
"Why? I don't even know why I can't be normal!" Cried Dream, as sudden anger rose in him. "Pardon?" Questioned Damaco, almost comical. He turned his head towards Dream, who was now standing.
"Look, I've been separted from my family. I have been separated from my friends, my friends have suffered and so have I! All because of what? My destiny, they are being tortured because I have a job I don't care about! I have to put up with everything you throw at me, yes you! Who else commands us? Tell me!!" Dream was so annoyed he forgot totally he was talking to a god. The anger bubbled inside him. "Maybe I don't want to save the world! I don't even know who I'm saving it from! Could you even think about the lives of your loyal subjects? Those who have died thinking you chose them for death? They still think your good?" Dream had calmed down to a suttle stress.
"Dream, you are not thinking with your mind. You are thinking with your body." Answered Damaco, as if Dream was nothing but a bug. With no more importance.
"I don't know why your looking like that at me! If I'm so important, to you and your subjects lives, why do you scoff at me and treat me like nothing?!" Shouted Dream, boiling up again.
"If I'm so important, and I am the reason for your very exsistence, then why do you stand tall and treat me like nothing? If you respect me, then I will respect you." Damaco said evenly, shifting uncomfortably.
"Because I'm not a little dragon anymore! I'm a somebody and a something, everybody thinks I'm normal and just nothing....." Dream sighed, and sat heavily down. There was no ground though, only space.
"Many think and know you are special Dream, I cannot move your destiny to another. Through my powers above all......"
"Wait a minute!" Interupptd Dream. "You rely on something."
Damaco stayed silence, and backed off into the darkness of his world.
"I knew you did! Magic! Magic created you and it can destroy you! So you have followers that pray and respect you, they give you power and that power controls the magic!" Dream paused and thought about it. "Then again you need a channel to get that magic through to you...."
Damaco stayed silent, he knew Dream would work it out soon. His tail flicked in the darkness, waiting, expecting.
"Power!" Dream suddenly called out, a grin on his face. "Power is your channel. The power from the loyal ones go to him, and then onto you. You are nothing but a genarator." Dream had lost all sense, god or no god. He was just like himself.
"Your no better than a True." Smiled Dream. Damaco still stood tall, but only because of size. If he was smaller, he would be tiny compared to Dream. Still, Damaco had more powers than Dream. Damaco spread his wings, and looked down with disust at Dream.
"You have insulted me, said I am nothing when, without out me you are no better than a Plain. Aplogize and all this will be forgiven." Damaco said, with new strength.
"Hah, when fire freezes." Laughed Dream.
"I will take that as a no. You will have another chance, you will see." Damaco said, and Dream was back to the normal world again.
He saw Klen looking at him, in a way that said two things. One, he was wondering whether Dream had figured out the riddle yet. Two, he was expecting him to say something.
"Well, thought of anything?" Said Klen, twitching because of the chains.
"Not really no, just thinking." Replied Dream, and looked ahead. He could see the lush green fields, the beautiful trees and forests. He saw sparkling lakes and rivers, little ponds. He could smell the animals thriving and living, including the True Dragons. He could smell above all, the over powering Magic force. The force that drove dragons to death, it made them wild and hungry for it. They practically lived off it, without it their magic was dull and with no power. They were nothing but sparks from small triangles of power, they hardly understood, controlled and used. Dream wondered if his magic would be better with more magic in him, it would certainly help him that was for sure. Klen was staring at him hard now, it was a questioning look. Dream knew why as well, he looked down at his claws. Inbetween them was a turning triangle, sparking and sizzling. Klen looked up at Dream, who was silent and absolutely speechless.
"I...I...I don't know why." Spat out Dream, gasping at the triangle floating inbetween his claws. He had not summoned the power! He had been given it!
"Your no Plain Dragon! Scum! No Plain dragon can command such an illusion, some True Dragons can't!" Klen hissed, and snapped out at Dream. Dream stood back, and the triangle dissapeared.
"Just because I use magic, doesn't mean I'm not a Plain Dragon!" Shoued Dream back, his ears laid flat. "Ask anyone! I'm a Plain Dragon just like you are!"
"Plain means simple, not complicated. You're a spy! That's what you are! A True Dragon spy!" Snarled Klen, his friendly attitude had gone. He was vicious and barbaric.
"I'm not a spy! Ruth tell him!" Cried Dream, reaching out with his wing for Ruth.
"She's a True, she'll protect you! Leave that beast out of it!" Klen growled, and slapped Dream hard with his claws.
Ruth hit Klen back, and protected Dream with her wing. The red and other colours merged, glittered and shone. Klen hit at Ruths wing, but something was stopping him, a magical field. Finally the fight broke up, and they trudged along. Ruth stared at Dream sympathetically, wishing they would all understand what he felt like. He had not chosen to lead a life of destiny, it had been chosen for him. He was angry at that.
"You shouldn't have shouted at Damaco." She said suddenly.
"How did you know?" Snapped Dream.
"I was there, I saw you in a trance and wondered why. I saw you standing up against Damaco. Your a fool to do that, a brave one though." Ruth admitted, shuffling closer to him.
"You shouldn't have been there, it was between me and him. So did you know about him then?" Growled Dream, calming down.
"No, but I never wanted to know. No one did, I hope they didn't hear. Bigger ones could just charge in his world at any moment, it'd be a task destroying him but it could be done. Satix can do it, I know he could." Sighed Ruth, Dream comforted her by putting a wing round her.
"I miss Shine, I miss my father, I miss my old friends and the Plain Dragon Lands. All I want to do is live and be with them, I'm not cut out for this! I don't want to do this, I want to go home!" Cried Dream, and shoved his snout into his claws.
"I'm not either, my mother could have killed herself by now. She said she would if I ever went missing for more than a week. I must help you though, for the sake of all of us dragons. For every breed." Ruth said, looking up into the tearful eyes of Dream. She wondered what his secret past was, why he was so depressed and never mentioned his mother? Why was he full of grief not excitement?
Suddenly they stopped, and Dream saw a glittering around his feet. The itching and hurting stopped, and they were pushed by magic to their knees. Dream struggled to look up, and saw a glimpse of a blue tail.
"My lord, this is the invading flock. I know you have been searching for one." Said Nogard, bowing low before this other beast.
"Indeed I have, now, do you have the Golden one?" Asked a voice.
Dream felt the eyes of one searching over him, probing and feeling his scales. He was suddenly released from the crouching spell, and he was pushed up. He looked straight into the eyes, of the head True Dragon. His body powerful and rippling with muscels, his scales shone and sparkled. His body was impressive and many horns, spikes and webbed areas stuck out. His wings were massive and could lift him and more. They were folded neatly back though, still two deadly claws were poised on the point of them. His tail was long and stiff, as he stood on four legs. His neck towered above Dream, strong and thick. Three horns going in order of size, from the biggest to the smallest, were from his nose to the middle of his head. He had the two long spikey horns, one above each eye. Oh, and his ears! They were so big and fan like he could hear a whisper from a mile away. His motuh was slightly open, and all of his shinning teeth were visible. His long reptilian tounge flicked in and out, like a Komodo Dragon.
"This is the one, put the others somewhere safe." Commanded the Blue Dragon, and the others were taken away by the ruthless Nogard.
"We have met before, on the field of Stealth. I hear he breaths no longer." Said the Blue Dragon quietly.
"She, Stealth is a she. I killed her by accident." Sighed Dream.
"Ah, did she have a child?" Asked the Blue Dragon.
"Yes, Ruby. She's alive. Partly blinded though." Said Dream.
"Good. Now, to buisness. My name is Kasatchi, I know yours. Klen told you the riddle, yes?" Nodded the Blue Dragon.
"Yes, he doesn't like me anymore though. I think his mind has gone though." Sighed Dream, and kicked the ground.
"He is not important anymore, now, let me talk about another matter." Kasatchi sighed, and pointed towards the setting sun. "The rule of a leader is like the sun, it rises and it's sunlight riens long. Yet, like the sun, it falls. Then there is a space of time, called the night. Then a new day, a new leader rises to become."
Dream looked curiously at Kasatchi. Here he stood, powerful and brave, tall and almighty. Yet, somewhere in him, Dream saw the will to die!
"My sunlight has been long, and hopefully warm and good. Yet the night draws near, and I begin to fall. I need to prepare a new sun, to take on the new day. Without one, the night of nothing will go on forever." Kasatchi looked at Dream, and put a massive claw on his shoulder.
"What do you want me for though? I'm not a True Dragon, through little magic I have!" Questioned Dream, his tail weaving to and fro.
"Here, here it is I break my point. I want you Dream, to take on my role."
Dream stood silent, he didn't even breath. He was holding his breath and waiting for the punch line to come out. He wanted it to, he had no spirit to be leader of a race he didn't even belong to. Or did he?
"Kasatchi, I can't!" Exclaimed Dream, pulling away from the dragons stare of hope.
"I must carry on a search that is endless then. Damaco has told me you are the one, no other can be. It is your destiny...."
"Well then it is endless! I've had enough of this destiny, all that's come out of it is pain and grief. So you can take this destiny and throw it in the ocean!" Shouted Dream.
"Your anger is building, I can sense it. The world shall end if this does not go through, Satix is planning. Power is being coaxed, and the Tall Networks are hungry. Satix has a plan, what I have no idea. Even Damaco is changing, you are chosen to figure this out." Kasatchi explained. Still Dream shook his head, and crossed his arms.
"I'm not cut out for it! I just want my family and friends to be with me, you can torture me as long as I have them!" Dream cried.
"You will someday, destiny and fate are together on you." Kasatchi sighed, looking down at the golden dragon. "Your too young to understand, time will tell. You will stay in one of the caves." A guard came and took Dream away to the mountain, which was a couple of minutes away. On arriving, he chose a cave and rested. Magic thickened the air, it was raw and strong. The guard left quickly, and flew back to tell Kasatchi he had arrived safely. Dream waited till he was well out of sight, and began to explore around. Suddenly a great roar of fire appeared around the mountain, and Dream flew over to investigate. The magic grew stronger, and almost choked him. Hot ashes flew up into the air, and the smell of death reeked. Below him the Tall Networks stood, and below that a battle was on. True met Plain, the Plains were the invaders this time. They were few though, and being pushed into the Networks which swallowed them up. All who entered always found that the way they went in was not there anymore. There was only one way in, and one way out. If you found the in way, you would be burnt up passing through. But there is a saying which helps you tell: To go out is to push, to go in is to pull. Because the magic which made the holes passed through quickly and shaped the rock around. A bit like pushing your finger through paper, it makes some of the paper go outwards. That's what happened to the rock. More flames rose quickly, just in front of Dream, pushing him back. He heard voices, calling him below in agony.
Son, come to me.
"Mother!" He cried, and dived into the ashes. He darted past other flying dragons, and landed hard. The ground was hot and burnt his feet, yet he didn't feel it. He ran anywhere, ignoring the battle that surrounded him. It was not the thing he was looking for, it was his mother!
Son, I'm here, come to me. Called the voice, and again Dream ran towards the source. He didn't smell her, but he heard and sensed her! He ran quickly and swiftly, and began to fly low. His wings hit and the frame cut. Dragons hit at him but missed for his speed.
"Where are you?!" He called out over the roar of battle.
Here my son, I'm close now. The voice whispered, as if it was right by him. Inside him almost, yet he was determined to find her and flew faster. His wild goose chase lead him to the coast, where the Plain Dragons were flying in swarms of more than a thousand. Among them he saw Shine, and flew up towards her! He couldn't believe his luck, his half sister was there above him. She passed so quickly though, and was lost in the crowd.
"Shine! Slow down, wait for me!" He called, yet her Ochre colour did not appear again. She was gone, lost. Dream flew back to the mountain, and looked at it.
He thought of the riddle, and looked at the mountain.
I am tall not false, but the other way.
On my side that faces the warmth of day,
The depth of this riddle does lay.
Seven openings of the mystic Enemco,
Four are high and three are low.
The bottom two must be turned,
To make the power of magic churn.
Join these lines and in their wake,
Will the answer to magic make.
"Tall not false, the True Mountain! The side that faces the warmth of day, well birds fly south for the warmth in winter. So this side. Seven openings of mystic Enemco..." Dream looked at the mountain, and all the small caves. Yet he saw seven massive ones, seven openings!
Suddenly his train of thought was inturrupted, as something sharp stuck into his side. He grasped it and pulled, it was a scale. He looked at it, it was large and tough. He smelt the blood on it, and coughed. It was of a True Dragon, strong and pungent. He dropped the scale, and it clattered on the stone. It finally rolled down, and fell to the ground far below.
My son, you still cannot see me. Said the voice inside of him, and he looked around. "No matter how hard I search, your not there! You're gone, forever!" He cried, spreading his wings emotionally. He fell to his knees, and tears fell onto the dry stone.
Son, I can see you, and I am with you. Yet you say you can't see me. Dream growled, and hit the ground hard. The tears splashed everywhere, and he snarled.
"I can't! You're not with me and will never be!" Dream called out, and looked up to the clouds. A gentle breeze blew, and the shape of the clouds changed. They whisped into shape, and Dream saw the shape of his mother. She bent her long neck down, and Dream reached out to her. Here, now I am here with you son. Whispered the wind, and Dream heard his mother shaping the words. He stood on his hind legs, and looked at the cloud.
I am here, to guide you son.
"I don't want guidence! I want no destiny, I just want you." Shouted Dream, and the cloud dragon folded its wings.
Your destiny leads to me son, follow your destiny and me.... The cloud began to spread its wings, and blew away on the next gust of wind. The cloud turned back to a cloud, and his mother left.
"Don't go! Stay with me mother! Please, stay with me." Begged Dream, and flew into the sky, and flew through the cloud that was once his mother.
My son.... She was gone, and Dream landed on the hard stone again. Stone, his friend, his lost friend. A friend he would probably never see again, one that was probably dead.
He would leave, and search for what he wanted. Power was being coaxed, The Keeper of Knowledge. He spread his wings and set out for the Gormongo tree, one of the only ones left.

Below him Kasatchi laughed, and closed his eyes.
"Go young one, fly."

Dream had little idea of which direction he was going, he was relying on his senses to tell him where the Gormongo tree was. It was taller than True Mountain, so spotting it wouldn't be too hard. The land below him was too perfect, for his liking. It was almost as if it was an illusion, a made up scene. Like there was something else under it, and something was holding the image. He glanced back, and saw the sun had set and the moon had risen. Dragus looked at him with a wide eye, but he was calm. He was not expecting danger, he was expecting peace. He was watching though, and he was waiting.
Dream felt a cool wind hold him back for a moment, but he pushed on through hesitation. The stars began to appear, the souls of many dead. It was strange how up there, they lived together and happily. Not like down on the Earth, down here they fought and bickered, killed and spilt blood. He only wished they were peaceful down here, that way things would not be so complicated. Unfortuneatly that was not the way things worked, they were much more complex. Dream loved the night, all slept and there was only silence and stillness. He wished there was eternal night, so it would be forever peaceful. Dream did not want to fight, he did not want to kill and injure. Through his feelings he did, ad so did many others of his kind. Sometimes, he would sleep through the day, and be awake and moving at night. He found that spoilt it though, for he was the one who disturbed. He only woke for the night, when he had to. Some creatures relied on the stillness, they relied on others to respect that. Dream did his best to, sometimes though respect was not the most strongest command. Dream found destiny was the strongest, fate also won at every game. At everything, fate won and nothing could stop him. Miracles were one in a million, they were once in a lifetime in fact. Dreams miracle had not yet come, and it wouldn't do for a very long time. He had an uncertain future, a future that wasn't even planned. His was left to itself, but his destiny wasn't. His destiny would choose what he did, well most of it anyway. He planned nothing, it happened and reluctantly he went along with it. His mind wandered, far far away, into another world....
"Damaco! Why back here?" Cried Dream, standing tall against the black figure.
"It is time." Damaco said, "I am no better than a True." Damaco blew fire into the air, and it froze suddenly. "You said you will apologize when fire freezes, it just did."
Dream stood motionless, then looked up with total anger at Damaco.
"It was an expression." Said Dream, Damaco just laughed heartily.
"You said that in plain words, and now you must keep your words. Fire has frozen, and by no more power than a True." Damaco was enjoying this encounter.
"Fine, I can take that kind of rejection and humiliation." Frowned Dream, and he heard a giggle from the darkness. He stepped foward, and looked around. He saw a slender shape slip away, and he wa ssuddenly there beside it.
"Ruth!" He shouted, and pulled her tail.
"Please, I mean no harm..." Ruth begged, thinking Dream might strike.
"I can't hurt you, I don't want to. Why do you keep following me?" Asked Dream.
"I want to know what your up to, what your doing!" Exclaimed Ruth, looking around at the raw power circling Damaco.
"Too much small talk, apologize." Said Damaco calmly.
"I'm sorry, okay?! I need to get back to the flying." Dream sighed, and looked at Ruth.
"When we're apart, you know where to find me." Sighed Ruth, and put her wing on his shoulder. Suddenly Dream was back again, and felt the thud of reality hit him. He was now alone, and nobody even knew where he was. Everybody, except Dragus. Dragus knew where everyone was, for he could look at the whole world without effort. Everynight, anywhere you were, he was watching. Except of course when he had fallen to sleep, those nights were rare and meaningless though. Dream knew this, and hoped every night he flew, somebody was watching. He hated to be alone, without a friend, without another one to look at. He looked below to a lake, and saw his reflection dart across. He thought of his mother, and held back his feelings. He had to sort out his life, he had to sort out whether to believe she was alive or dead. He knew she must be dead, but a nudging feeling told him she was alive. Whether in body or spirit he did not know, he just had a feeling she was alive! Someday he would properly meet her, not just a voice on the wind, a shape in the sky, a whisper inside of him. He would touch her scales, look into her eyes and hear her voice coming from her mouth. Not something elses. To use anothers mouth was to be secretive, it was a trick of the True Dragons. How did his mother achieve it then? How did she do something that she couldn't? A thought dashed past him, but he didn't catch it. It was important, or he wouldn't of spent most his time trying to look for it. Finally his mind caught it, and he considered it. Maybe his mother was like he was, Plain, but with a tinge of True Dragons blood in her blood. A simple door to Damacos world, and a simple use of magic. He wondered, if he was the last of a dying breed.....? He dismissed the thought, and flew on with strength.
Hours, hours of flying tired the muscels in his wings. They ached and drew tight, and he began to descend. He tried to stop it, but the will to rest was stronger, and eventually he gave in to it. He saw a nearby cave and rant into it quickly. It reminded him of the years on Forest Island, with Ruby. His last moments with Stone came back to him. He wondered if he had been one of the killed in the Canyon of Griffins, or maybe he was still at Dragon Mountain! Home! No, Stone was strong but too brave for his own good. He would of been helping others in his death, or in the fight outside Enemco. Stone was lost, and Dream wanted Stone to go away from his mind. He was nothing to worry about, a forgotten friend. If he was to be found again? If Dream was to somehow meet up with him, what would they do? What would happen? Dream closed his eyes, he would probably carry on in the morning. His body hurted too much to only rest for a few hours, he need a good nights sleep.
He slept quickly, and found himself once again in his dreams.

Dream saw his friends, he saw them behind him. He kept on walking though, his body would hurt painfully if he turned and walked the other direction. Ahead of him lay a golden light, shinning and sparkling. His friends were just dull though, less atractive and hard to get to. So he went for the light, which was an easy walk. He even quickened the pace, to make his arrival early at this thing. Although it was not clear, it began to as he got closer. It was a creature no doubt, lying down on the ground. The gold began to turn to red though, and the glow turned to beams of light shooting at him. Soon he stood before it, and it was clear. It was a massive dragon, but not of any breed he had ever seen. It was clearly not True, the way it sat told you it was more comfortable on four, when Trues found it easier on two. Yet, it held magic more powerful than Damaco times three thousand times. Dream stopped, and looked back for a second. His friends were calling him, and he began to run. He hurt like anything, as if dragons were scratching and torching him. He felt the hot fire of the dragon behind him, and when he did reach his friends, it was gone. The pain had stopped, and his friends were praising him.
He awoke.

"Oi! Who are you? Wake up you reptile!" Hissed the voice by Dreams ear.
Dream woke up with a start, and glanced nervously around. It was morning, and a strange creature was greeting him with no more respect than an insect.
"What? What are you?" Dream said, adjusting to the light. The creature was like a horse from his home land, but with wings and a horn. It was a rich creamy colour, with golden mane, tale, hooves and horn. Behind it smaller foals hid from him.
"What do we look like? Basilisks?" Scoffed the creature, putting its horn on Dreams chest. "Now skiddadle before I puncture you." Ordered the horse thing, and Dream steadily got up. "Why are you living in a cave? I thought you lived on trees or by lakes." Questioned Dream, and the horse creature suddenly saddened.
"We used to, we used to roam freely. Lived on the trees, flew in the clouds and rode the rainbows. Those were the good old days, when dragons were few. When they were nothing more than strange reptiles, we were the most glorious animals. Then you dragons came up from nothing, magic had chosen you, of all animals! You were chosen to command the magic, the magic that we loved. It created the trees and the grass and the water. You lot just trashed it!" Sighed the flying unicorn, and settled down.
"So, you don't like dragons?" Asked Dream, and the unicorn just glared at him.
"Course I don't! Why do you think I shout at you? They killed my mate, some of my children, pulled down trees to hit their enemies with. I like the Plain Dragons though, they keep to the rules. Magic is a creature and shouldn't be used like a toy. I respect them, not like the Serpents and the Trues."
"Serpents don't use magic!" Exclaimed Dream.
"They used to though, and Kroth has a little in his claws. Then he charged it and now he's got more than a little." Sighed the flying unicorn.
"You can say that again." Mumbled Dream under his breath, remembering the incident at Dragon Mountain. Dream began to leave, he knew he must get to the Gormongo tree soon.
"By the way, I'm a Plain Dragon, not a True." Said Dream as he began to leave.
"Good, now my childen are safe." She sighed, and the little flying unicorns pranced out.
"Bless Order, she is one True Dragon I like." Thought the Unicorn aloud.
"Pardon?" Said Dream, and turned around.
"Order, she flies around these parts. She is a bit secretive though, very powerful. She saved some of my children, the ones you see here. You might see her on whatever way your going." She paused. "If your Plain, why are you over here?"
"Long story, some day you'll hear it from a dragon." Smiled Dream, and took to the air. He heard the horse coming after him, and bit his tail hard.
"Look, I want to know who you are and why your here! If not I have some agrivated friends!" Growled the Unicorn.
Dream just sighed and followed her back to the cave, and tried to make himself comfortble over the clatter of tiny hooves. They were getting on his nerves, and he wished he could just toast them quickly. "My name is Dream, and I am here on some stupid destiny. I can use magic, and I want to get to the keeper of knowledge to stop Satix!" Breathed out Dream, and the unicorn stood back a little. She seemed uncomfotable with him now, and pushed her foals a little further back.
"Is the word Damaco in here somewhere?" She asked.
"Well, he does give me powers." Answered Dream.
"My name's Shere, I am not with Damaco. He was the greedy one at the beginning, took all the magic. He became too much, destroyed basically everything. They became scared of him, wanted him to go. He caused the Longs to come from across the ocean to the land, they went eventually. Of course something happened that shouldn't of, and the Serpents came." She sighed, and flopped down to sleep. "Well I don't know much history, and I really must be going. I might see you again though, goodbye!" Called Dream quickly, and took off before Shere could reply. It wasn't he didn't like her, he was just running out of time to reach the Gormongo tree. He must fly fast if he was to get there before Radiuses eye fell and Draguses eye rose. Dadis would tell him when he must go faster, when Dadis was there, he must either fly faster or land. Hopefully to land, in front of the tallest Gormongo tree there ever was and ever will be. If all the others were to be destroyed, it would be the only one. Many dragons would be deprived of homes, of sancturies.
The sun reflected off his scales, they were dirty and stained with blood and mud. Some were missing, and he thought what a reck he looked. When he was home, when he had never heard destinys distant call, he was beautiful. He glittered and sparkled in the light, and he stood out in a crowd. He was the most graceful, he had not flown but if he had in that state he would of been wonderful. Now he was just dull and grubby, he was ugly now. He must admitt that even Ruth was looking away some times, despite her feelings she couldn't help but notice his condition. That was why she likd to look at the late Chaemeleon, to think of how Dream could look. Dream was wondering why looks were bothering him, he was alive and well, that was all that mattered. Then again, being wonderful and looking spectacular were a kind of dream he wished to come true. When he was back home again he would know for sure, for now he would just try to take everything his destiny hit him with.
As his journey towards the tree began to close in, he saw the very land outstretched around it. It was beautiful, sparkling rivers and ponds. Beautiful trees that were a lushes green, deep green grass. Rolling hills and cool forests. It was heaven on earth, paradise. He saw all the creatures roaming free across the land, and licked his lips wanting to pick off a few Unicorns from the edge of a wood. They saw him and ran away quickly, and even the birds darted away. A cloud covered the sun and he was alone, in the cool darkness. He flew quietly over the long grass, and saw mice scatter as he went by. He knew he wasn't welcome, all creatures not born there were not welcome. They would destroy the beautiful land, and no part of the old lands of magic would be left. Dream respected that, and he would do his best not to make anything different. He had to get to Power though, they had to talk.
Suddenly he was stopped and fell to the ground, he felt a bang on his head.
He saw no more.

He woke with a sore head, and the Eye of Radius was still high in the sky. He had time! He would make it! Something was over him though, a large very light blue wing. It had rings of light pink on it, and dashes of yellow. He looked up, and saw a king female face staring down on him. "I am Order." She said, and Dreams eyes widened. "I won't hurt you, don't worry."
Dream relaxed, and looked at her. Her whole body was just like her wing, she was beautiful. She was strong yet elegant, she seemed tough but fragile. She was definately a True, even if he hadn't been told by Shere.
"Why did you knock me out?" Asked Dream.
"Your not supposed to be here, only ones who know the future can enter." Explained Order. "I was going to kill you, but seeing you were a Plain Dragon and had travelled far, I spared you for a story." Dream was curious, and wondered what she meant by knowing the future.
"Do you know the future?" Asked Dream, and Order nodded.
"I am one of the few original True Dragons, I was one of the last to be born. Before the Plain and Serpent Dragons turned nasty and pushed us from our lands for their own, then we were left to live in Enemco." Order sighed. " I'm waiting for the one, the one with the destiny above others. He has not come though."
"I'm him! The golden one! I have a destiny above others!" Exclaimed Dream, smiling.
"You can't be young dragon, your a Plain Dragon." Laughed Order.
Dream frowned, and breathed a flame into the air. He held the fire triangle for a second inbetween his claws. Order just stared, and blinked. They said nothing for five minutes, Order was considering what she had done. She had found a tired, dirty young dragon. She had knocked him out, intending to kill. By chance, and probably his destiny, she had let him live and taken him to a forest. Then he claimed to be the one. She looked deep into his eyes, and into his mind.
"What are you looking for?"
Order jumped back, and Dream laughed.
"Stealth taught me how to do that!" Chuckled Dream, and Order shook her head free of the shock.
"So, you can mind talk. Well, I guess there's no point stealing the answers from you." Smiled Order. "Well, I'm surprised Damaco sent one so young for the destiny. Never mind, he knows what to do." "Order, I need to get to the Keeper of Knowledge! Satix is...."
"I know, just as well as you do Dream." Order nodded. "You will see him in time."
"Not in time.....how did you know my name?" Dream asked, looking at the smirk on Orders face. "Knowing the future tells you most things, including important names." Order said, and lifted herself off the ground. She folded her wings back, and Dream was able to stumble to his feet. Order stood on four, and he stood on two. Something told him, Order was not what she appeared to be. Something was hidden, and it was a lot more than just something.
"So, we're going now?" Asked Dream, as they walked out of the forest. They were not too far in, and a couple of minutes got them out.
"Yes, I'm not sure he'll be pleased to see you though. Satix has been busy convincing many." Order sighed. She looked towards the Gormongo tree, and cocked her head to one side. Her beautiful colour seemed to bring out the sun, and all the animals reapeared again.
They flew in silence, Dream knew something must be bothering her. She seemed to be thinking, thinking about what would happen to him, when the Keeper of Knowledge saw a young dragon. Dream wanted to ask her questions, and one blurted out accidently.
"Do you know the riddle?" He asked, and she looked at him.
"Only too well, all True Dragons know it. Not the answer though. Only one knows it and that's the Keeper of Knowledge, he won't tell though. He's going to die with the answer, he won't tell it to anybody. He trusts no one." Order said.
"Kasatchi wanted me to know it, and I've worked some out. It's firstly talking about the seven massive caves on the South side, that's about as far as I've gotten." Said Dream. "It said something about, four are high and three are low."
"Yes, the bottom three must be turned to make the power of magic churn. That's where dragons lost the track of it." Order said, looking at Dream.
"I guess it means fiddle around with the caves. Then it says to join the lines and in their wake, will the answer to magic make. Magic isn't a question though, is it?" Dream asked, and Order shrugged.
"I don't know, dragons have tried to black mail the Keeper of Knowledge. They've tried cutting down his tree, he sleeps and lives in it. Drinks the sap and eats the birds, he doesn't need much. Magic keeps him alive, and will do to the extinction of dragon kind. Then again our cousins will live longer then us, the Dragons of Komodo. They have no wings, and are like monitors. They are the closest to our kind, still they lack what we have. Very much." Order stopped, as they had come before the Gormongo Tree.
"We're here. Let's go in." Dream said, and suddenly remembered his dream about climbing the tree. He did not fly, but crawled like a lizard.
"How did you know about the field?" Asked Order in amazement, climbing up behind him. "I dreamt about it, I know." He said, which was a kidn of lie. He didn't know what she meant by 'field'.
His wings were aching, and he stretched them out to waken the muscels. Suddenly a shock sprung through his body, and he nearly lost his grip. The pain hurt like mad, and he wanted to just fall to the ground and die.
"Is that what stopped the dragons cutting down his tree?" Winced Dream.
"Yes." Order replied.
"I'm not surprised." Dream mumbled, hugging his wings close to his body.
It was quite a while before they reached the hole in which to enter. It was dark and splintered around the edges, claw marks and old birds nests sat around it. Splashes of blood stuck to feathers were also a notable feature. Dream felt uncomfortable, as they crawled and fell a small way into the old tree. A strange source of light came from far, far into the tree. It was an un-earthly light, that gave Dream the shivers. He walked behind Order, who obviously had been in the age old tree before. She didn't stumble over chunks of wood and run into walls like Dream did, he felt like a youngster again. They began to run to make the journey quicker, Dream was amazed at the size and space of the tree, of course it was the size of the True Mountain! It could hold colonies of dragons, not just the one.
"ORDER!!!" A booming voice suddenly called out, and it echoed into nothing down the tunnel. Dream was shaking like a leaf, he was experiencing visions and voices he had never seen or heard before. The raw magic was getting into his blood and lungs, the sharpness of it struck him like a claw. It bit into him like a tooth, seeing this dragon would surely make him faint. If this creature could live it's entire life in this tree of horrors, it must be angry and frustrated.
"Don't worry Dream, he won't hurt you." Order comforted. "Hopefully."
Dream bit his lip, and then licked them as he had bitten too hard and cut himself. He was terrorfied, this dragon could be the most horrible sight! They slowed down, and looked around the chamber carved by claws and teeth. Curled in the middle, was an old, scatty light brown dragon. Shedded scales and piles of gold and jewels covered the floor.
"Sire, I bring the golden one." Order said calmly, and bowed down low. Dream followed quickly, but was pushed up again by Order.
"Your are more important then him, you have no reason to." Whispered Order quickly.
The dragon took his head from under his old ripped wing, and gold coins and scales were pushed away. "You are the one. I know your attitude." Said the old dragon confidently. His eyes were half closed, from centuries of restless sleep. "You must break me from this spell called life, Satix is holding me. You must discover the answer to my riddle."
"I will, I'm still working it out though!" Explained Dream, and the old dragon smiled.
"Good, you shall rien our kind. The Plain Dragons and Serpent Dragons and Skeletal Dragons shall go, and only we shall remain on this land. Then you shall travel the skies, you will explore new lands. New dragons. Only True and Half True, only two on this ground of magic. Satix will survive though, he will survive...." With that Power closed his eyes, and resumed sleep.
"You must stay with him for a while, and wait for Satix." Order nodded, and few away down the passage. Dream jumped down, and clattered clumsily on the golden coins and old scales. He slept, he was not tired but in any case he slept. He waited and watched, this dragon of old.
This dragon of answers.

Dream pondered about where these round plates of gold came from, they certainly weren't dragon scales. These things had marks and pictures on them, these were made by some sort of animal! He watched the dragon slowly wake up, and look at Dream with one eye slightly open. He was too tired to use both, and too tired to open one fully. Through centuries of sleep, he was still tired. Dream thought about the lifespan of this creature, was the world his night? If so, what was his day? The sky?
"Keeper of Knowledge, you need help." Dream said, and the old dragon shook his head very, very slowly.
"No, Satix is my help. Damaco is no longer my master, I no longer supply him. He shall fall from his world and be destroyed, Satix will take that place." Whispered Power, and smiled weakly. "No! Satix will be destroyed! Not Damaco, Damaco is a friend. Satix is evil...."
"Satix is only evil to Damaco because Damaco does not wish him to live. They are deadly enemies." Power said logically. Dream knew he was right, but he had to convince him these weren't his words!
"Your not saying this Keeper, I know these words are being said for you. Satix is controlling you, you said so. You have a destiny, and it's one that involves mine." Dream said, and laid his claw on the massive claw of Power. "Yours is important, and quite short."
"My destiny is to die. Yet Satix has taken my destiny, and he is going to make it glorious! I shall fly the skies once again, after millenias of restless, endless sleep. No more dreams of the day of the end, only of the future! I shall be on for eternity, I shall live." Power said with a heaviness in his voice. Dream could tell Satix had black mailed him, made him want to live.
"What about the world, with you living they shall all perish. You shall be the only ones." Said Dream, and Power turned away.
"That is of no matter, I have no more cares for others. They are not of prime importance. I care not for the feeling of loneliness, Satix will guide me and always be there. He cares." Power said gravely.
"Order cares, she cares for you. I care for you, Damaco cares for you, the world cares for you! You are the reason they are alive. Do you want to betray them and destroy them, Satix can't live without you, that's why he wants you alive. The rest of the world can." Dream explained, still Power disagreed.
"You do not understand. Only Satix and I understand, you cannot. You will never." Power said, and closed his eyes again.
"Sleep as you wish." Dream scoffed, and momentarily thought of sleep. He was running out of time though, he needed to do something. He was puzzled by the riddle, and here sleeping in front of him was his answer. Yet it would be cheating to awaken him, and not fair on others who had died to find out the answer. Who cared though! He would wrestle the answer out of him! His anger had gone to the brink, he had the puzzle of magic with only a few pieces missing. To fill in the last one of a few would help him a lot, but Power was being stubborn! Dream kicked him hard in the thigh.
"Wake up! Or else I'll toast you!" Dream shouted, not understanding what even himself said. "Ha ha, you amuse me." Growled Power, eyes half open, "You could not sting me with your weak magic, you were never meant to use it."
"Well I can!" Snarled Dream. "I'm getting stronger with it all the time!"
"Please, do not waste your energy on me. Your purpose has finished here. If you seek the answer of my riddle you will not find them. Anger takes you no where." Power said patiently, he had dealt with many like Dream. Yet he knew Dream was special in the way he would try to defeat Satix, which was practically impossible. But there must be a slim chance for anything.....
"Look, I'm sorry for getting in a mood but I'm confused. What has the secret of magic got to do with my destiny? Yes it would be nice to know but, well." Dream looked up at Power.
"You must figure out the riddle before facing your fear, the hidden fear. Everyones fear. Even I fear him." Power said.
"Must I leave now?" Dream asked quietly.
"There is nothing more for you to know Dream. Except the answer." Power said, and dropped his head gently down to the ground.
Dream scrambled out of the tree, and raced hugging the tree to the bottom. He didn't realize that he had ran in a blind panic until he found himself gasping for breath.
"What's the matter?" Asked Order, looking puzzled at him. She was worried for him, sometimes she knew Power to get angry with persistant young dragons. She tenderly felt a scar on her thigh, then turned to Dream.
"Nothing, I just wanted to get into the open. Nothing wrong with that is there?" Said Dream with an edge on his voice.
"Of course not, what made you think so?" Chuckled Order. "You seem to be in a bad mood." "I got angry with him." Mumbled Dream, looking down.
"Everyone does, and if you go on for too long he...." Order paused. "Doesn't matter, where are you going now?"
"To see Kasatchi, he'll know what to do. Kasatchi will guide me, I haven't known him for long yet I trust him." Dream explained, and Order smiled.
"Kasatchi was a good friend of mine, we shared many things." Sighed Order. "Unfortuneatly I, being a sort of know all, got on his nerves. I was always interrupting him and making things harder for him. He found it difficult to work with me around, and had an argument with me. I left and came back home, I have hardly seen him since."
Dream nodded, he knew many annoying little dragons like that back at home. Well, what was left of his home. More to the point, what was left of the little dragons.
"You could come with me, and see Kasatchi again. Then maybe you could even come with me!" Smiled Dream.
"I suppose I could, but this land needs protecting."
"If you know the future, why don't you just do what happens? Do you come with me or don't you? Why ask me questions if you know the answers?" Dream asked, looking puzzled at her. "It's kind of hard to explain, if I never asked you, how could I possibly have ever known? Anyway, this is what's going to happen so I'm doing it. I can't see far into the future though, unless it's important." Order said, shurgging her wings.
"I think I understand." Said Dream.
"I hope you do, understanding is what you need in the future. It's very important." Said Order. "Shall we start going then?" Said Dream impatiently.
"No, not yet. Stay here and rest, we both need it for the journey. Especially you." Order nodded, and Dream looked over his grubby body.
"I suppose." He hummed. "Hey, what are those marks on your thigh?"
"What? These?" Said Order, pointing at them sheepishly. "Not important, just a kind of graze." "Look like claw marks to me."
"They're not claw marks..... oh what the heck. Your going to find out in the end." Sighed Order, annoyed. "I got in a bad fight with Power, I clawed at him. He just swiped at me with the tips of his claws and inflicted the scars."
"Sorry."
"It's all right, you didn't know how angry he can get. I do." Order smiled. "Let's go hunt a Unicorn, I'm starving."
They ran across the field, and soon hovered carelessly over to the woods. Unicorns dashed everywhere, charging through bushes and hitting trees in a fight to escape. Dream dived down, and smacked a Unicorn round the head with his massive claws. It fell to the ground, and was left behind by the rest of the herd.
"It's my duty to keep them in control, if not they'd run riot." Said Order, with her mouth full of Unicorn meat.
"Yeah, they would." Said Dream, not really paying attention. He looked away, and saw the distant top of True Mountain. Even more distant, the Tall Networks.
"After this I really must go, the others need me." Sighed Dream, looking longingly at the meat. He wanted to eat it, Unicorn meat was sweet and fresh. He wasn't hungry though, he was stuffed full of it.
"What others? You came with friends?" Asked Order, looking at him puzzled.
"A lot of them too, one of them very special." He said, looking Order in the eye. Order sighed heavily, there was a faint look of dissapointment in her.
"Very well, I will come with you. As a good friend." She said hopefully, her mood had changed since they had first met. It seemed only on buisness at first, now friendship had come in. "Come on then." Said Dream, and took off from the trees. He beat his wings hard to get high, where the winds were strong. He suddenly caught one, and hovered as he waited for Order. She followed him, and they began to make their way back to the mainland.

It had taken several days to get back to the mainland, they held nothing but flying, resting, eating and drinking. They talked little, as it would slow them down.
On arriving, they nestled down in a high tree. They slept for about two hours, before being awoken by the clash of two armies...